April 5, 1941 – November 27, 2022

Longtime Steamboat Springs resident Maribeth Cate passed away on Sunday November 27th. She died peacefully from complications from dementia with her husband Robert, daughter Kelsey and son Morgan at her side in Salt Lake City.

She was born in Amory Mississippi on April 5th, 1941, to Frank and Ruby Wilkinson and is survived in addition to her husband, daughter, and son, by a brother Richard, 5 grandchildren Bodhi, Bella, Rory, Thatcher and Ryder, Cousin Janice, and nieces Jennifer and Rachel. She is preceded in death by her parents and sister Paula.

Maribeth grew up in Amory where she could spend hours reading in her favorite magnolia tree, enjoying post war teenage activities, attended Itawamba Junior College, and then graduated from Delta State with an art major degree. Her first job as a teacher was in Mississippi as the schools in the state first became integrated. She then taught grade school art in New Orleans before her adventurous spirit brought her to St Croix, USVI in 1969. There she met and after a whirlwind courtship married Robert Cate and started their family. The family experienced a radical climate change when they moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 1982 and Kelsey and Morgan had to learn what cold really meant. After her husband retired in 2013, Maribeth and Robert moved to Loveland, Colorado to be closer to their son and his family.

During her years in Steamboat Springs, Maribeth was a ray of sunshine to all who had the pleasure of knowing her. Her passions included telling stories and illustrating them in her unique style to children in local pre-schools and at the Bud Werner Memorial Library where she also worked. She will be remembered as the Story Lady to 2 generations of Steamboat children with her creative ability to present and illustrate her stories and her ability to capture a room of both young and old. She loved reading and was a natural for her job at the library. Her moose cartoons in the Steamboat Pilot were anticipated and loved in a local retail store’s weekly advertisement. She was constantly inspired by the beauty around her. Wildflowers, aspens, animals, and children all sparked her creativity. She loved the mountains and spent much time portraying the forest scenery in her watercolors which are much valued by friends and family.

She will be much missed by all who knew and loved her warm and friendly smile and the southern accent she never lost. She was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother who constantly provided love, warmth, and generosity to all who crossed her path.

She will be celebrated in a memorial service this summer tentatively scheduled for August 19th on Buffalo Pass when the wildflowers are blooming, among the aspens she loved and was so good at portraying.