Catherine Carlisle Haas was born May 1, 1949 on Galveston Island and passed away unexpectedly on Friday, February 7, 2020 at her home in Spicewood, Texas. Cathy graduated from LaMarque High School, earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas, her Masters degree from North Texas State University and her PhD in Consumer Behavior from the University of Texas in Austin. She taught marketing at UT and the University of Kansas. Cathy had a very successful career as Senior Vice-President/Market Research Director from leading advertising agencies in Dallas, Boston, and Atlanta. In 1990, Cathy started Haas Market Metrics, Inc., a national market research firm whose clients included numerous advertising agencies where she did market research for Simmons Bedding, Alcoa Aluminum, and Kimberly Clark, as well as myriad other clients in high-tech companies, retail chains, banks, hospitals, clothing manufacturers and restaurant chains. Cathy's other passion was music! She held piano, organ and handbell positions in Methodist churches from Dallas, Amherst (New Hampshire), Las Vegas, Duluth, GA, Fredericksburg, TX and Marble Falls, TX. One of her great joys was accompanying the Genesis Youth Choir at Duluth First United Methodist Church and going with them on choir tour each summer for the past nine years. She also sang in the Chancel Choir. She had served as the President of United Methodist Women in Duluth and was more recently active in the UMW at the First Methodist Church of Marble Falls. Cathy was a great cook and the consummate hostess. She loved entertaining and had a large fan club for her "Mama Jean's" Louisiana gumbo, homemade chili, and deviled eggs. She also was brilliant at crosswords, other word puzzles, and Scrabble, which she and her husband played several times a day. Cathy loved all animals and put out food for the "woodland animals" each night, which included a raccoon, a possum, four feral cats, two foxes, and at least a dozen deer. She was especially devoted to her 14-year-old calico cat, Aunt Scooter, and the four-year-old twins, Travis and Tyler Rose, who snuggled up beside her in bed each and every night. Cathy was preceded in death by her parents, Ode and Gloria Carlisle, and her sisters, Claire and Carol. Cathy is survived by her spouse of 38 years, Tom Haas, her brother-in-law, Leslie Haas and spouse Sherry from Salado, TX; her stepson Clay Haas, spouse Leslie and their daughter, Lexi from Overland Park, KS; stepson Derek Haas, spouse Kristi and sons Bruno and Augie from Los Angeles, CA and stepson Austin Haas, spouse Yoko from Portland, OR. She had a blessed relationship with her cousins Bettye and Leon Anhaiser, from Sugarland, TX and Barbara and Paul Lloyd from Fredericksburg, TX. Cathy will be missed by all of her nieces and nephews and a host of very special friends. Visitation will be Thursday, February 13, 2020, from 5 7 PM at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be Friday, February 14, 2020 at 1:30 PM at First United Methodist Church, Marble Falls, TX. Graveside service will be Saturday, February 15, 2020, at 1:00 PM at Memorial Oaks Cemetery, Houston, TX. Arrangements by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, Marble Falls, Texas. Online condolences may be made at: www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com
Published in Austin American-Statesman on Feb. 11, 2020