Catherine Nicholson, a longtime resident of Lompoc and former real estate agent, departed this life on Thursday, September 29, 2016. She was 89 years old.

She was born Catherine Rittan Hunter on May 17, 1927, one of 11 children to Douglas and Laura Hunter of Columbus, Ohio. She married Joseph A. Nicholson of New Orleans, a U.S. Air Force non-commissioned officer, on April 16, 1955. After being stationed in Bangor, Maine and Japan, the couple moved to Lompoc in 1965 where Joseph was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Joseph, who retired from military service in 1968, died in 2005.

While being a devoted mother of her four children, she attended Alan Hancock College and later received her real estate license in 1980. She began her successful real estate career with several top real estate companies.

In 2003, Catherine started studying with the Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Lompoc.

She is survived by her daughters Lauda Fields of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Nadine Maxey of Lompoc, a son Keith Nicholson, two sisters Mary Cerna, and Beatrice Cole and a brother Jude Hunter. Her second son, Eric Nicholson, died in 1984. Other survivors include four grandchildren, George Claiborne Fields III of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Amber and Raquel Stephens and Andrea Johnson.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 10 at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, 1234 North A Street in Lompoc, beginning with a visitation at 10 am and a memorial service at 11 am. A celebration of her life will take place afterwards at 4460 Libra Drive, Vandenberg Village.