Friday, March 21, 2025
To the Bissinger Family, with a loss so great, I cannot even begin to imagine the pain and heartache you all are feeling. I am praying for your peace and comfort.
I remember Cathy was a lifeguard at the Maplewood pool on her summer breaks from school. My father, George Schneider, was the Manager of the pool during that time Cathy both worked as a lifeguard and I swam with her on the Maplwd swim team. My father spoke very highly of Cathy and would tell me what a hard worker she was and she never gave him a hard time as her boss like some of the other employees he had to manage did. I specifically remember him telling me as his daughter, even though Cathy was 5 years older than me, “Now Cathy Bissinger is a girl who you as a young girl should be looking up to as a role model. Besides her obvious natural beauty that is obvious was her handed down to her from her mom; Cathy was very intelligent, kind to everyone she came into contact with, always had a pleasant demeanor about her, and most importantly-she had confidence. You could definitely tell by the way she carried herself. Cathy had all the traits , including being an incredible athlete, my dad wanted me to have when I got to be her age. I always admired her for her confidence; that is the number one the characteristic she had that I stood out the most in my mind. Every girl my age knew of her, and every girl, including myself, wanted to be her. Years later, I ran into Cath at a local pub in town where we were both waiting for a table and we immediately said our hello’s. It was right after my dad passed away and a while after her dad had too. She told me how much she loved my dad and how he always made her laugh. I told her how much respect my dad had for her as her boss. We chatted how much we both loved and missed our father’s and she comforted me and helped me with my grief that night and told me it never gets easier Lauren, but we will never forget the memories that will be forever imbedded in our hearts with them. The last time I spoke to Cathy was January 13, 2019. She messaged me to tell me how much of a small world it was because her younger brother Chris lived in Franklin, MA and that my brother Erik was his daughter’s Emma b-ball coach. We both laughed and talked back and forth for a bit. We left off that day saying have a happy new years and giving both the fams our best. My thoughts and prayers and best wishes to you all. - Lauren Schneider
