Catherine (Sferlazzo) Mavrogeorgis was born to Catherine and Anthony Sferlazzo in Red Hook, Brooklyn on May 2, 1944. She grew up in an Italian American family with three siblings - Dolores, Daniel and Patricia. In her early childhood she lived in a housing project. She was a proud Brooklyn girl who enjoyed close relationships with diverse neighbors and friends.

While working as a medical secretary she met her future husband who was a Greek medical resident at the same hospital in Brooklyn. They married in Greece. In the early 1970's she lived on the island of Chios, Greece, under a dictatorship. She adopted the Greek language and culture, which she made certain to pass on to her children.

As a mother without higher education, she enrolled in Adelphi University around age 40 to pursue a Bachelor's degree followed by a Master's in speech and language pathology, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She became a speech language pathologist in the NYC Public Schools and a passionate advocate for her students and their welfare. She was also a committed steward to other teachers in her role as union chapter leader. Cathy loved a good joke with family and friends. She loved music especially funk, soul, rock and roll, Italian, Greek and Mick Jagger.

She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, who is survived by her husband Dr. Evangelos Mavrogeorgis, son Peter Mavrogeorgis, daughter-in-law Blake Olmsted, daughter Eleni Glader, son-in-law Paul Glader and granddaughters Cate and Emmy and loving extended family.