Cathy B. Cusson: 1953 - 2023
Cathy Bernadette (Briggs) Cusson, 69, of Fairhaven, MA died peacefully, surrounded by her family, on March 29, 2023 after a short, fiercely brave battle with cancer.
She was the wife of the late David L. Cusson and is survived in life and love by her daughter Kimberly (Pielech) Cambra of Fairhaven, daughter Michelle Cusson of Los Angeles, CA, daughter Nicole Cusson of Vancouver, WA, her beloved grandchildren Lily Cambra, Olivia Cambra, & Ryder Cambra all of Fairhaven, close friends who were like family, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Cathy was born on December 10, 1953 in Acushnet, MA to the late Benjamin T. Briggs, Jr. and Bernadette “Bernie” (Benoit) Briggs. She grew up on the beloved family farm with her parents, grandparents, and her late brother Benjamin “Butch” T. Briggs, III where her love of life, wildflowers, animals, and being outside in the fresh air would take root. It’s also where she would meet the neighborhood boy that she would later marry and spend over 30 blissful years with.
She graduated from New Bedford High School in 1971. In that same year she started working at Saltmarsh’s in downtown New Bedford, MA where she would work for over 3 decades and would meet her 4 best and closest lifelong friends. For the last 12+ years she was a part-time cashier at Market Basket in New Bedford, a workplace that she absolutely adored. Cathy loved her co-workers and customers and they definitely loved her in return. One customer even highlighted her unwavering kindness, patience and cheerfulness in a post on New Bedford Guide that went locally viral. Cathy got the biggest kick out of seeing all of the “likes” and praise-filled comments and getting to tell everyone she knew that she was “famous”!!!
Cathy was a New Englander through and through. She found joy and beauty in the simple things of life. Most days she could be found watching the birds outside her kitchen windows and snuggling with the family dog Percy while watching Hallmark movies and HGTV. She loved fried clams (with the bellies), antiques, Christmas, spring flowers, her “damn cat” Oreo, autumn, and Sam Elliott. She greatly enjoyed her weekly painting classes, baking, going to yard sales, breakfast on Saturday mornings with “the girls”, her chicken “Mary Poopins”, decorating for all holidays and finding discarded items on the side of the road to turn into treasures. She was an avid fan of Survivor and loaded cheese fries from Country Whip. She absolutely loved spending time outside in her yard and working in her gardens. She was happiest when spending time with her family…building her creative projects with Ryder, proving her genius while watching Jeopardy! with Olivia, teaching Lily everything she knew, and making puzzles with Kim while watching their favorite shows/movies. She always wished that Michelle and Nicole lived closer but that absence only made the visits sweeter and time together more special and valuable.
Cathy was a firm believer that “living well was the best revenge” and that “everything happens for a reason”. She was a beautiful bright light in this world, unfailingly kind and loving, considerate and optimistic. Her beautiful spirit will live on in the hearts and minds of all that loved her….and to know her was to love her.
A celebration of Cathy’s life will be held on Saturday May 20, 2023 from 1pm-4pm at the Acushnet-Wesley United Methodist Church in Acushnet, MA. Although Cathy would be disappointed that we didn’t use this opportunity to say “in lieu of flowers please send baked goods”, we’ve decided instead to ask that you do something nice for someone in Cathy’s memory or just take time to stop and smell the flowers and think of her.
Lastly, the family wishes to thank all the wonderful “angels” on the 5th floor of Charlton Memorial Hospital that took such loving care of Cathy in her final days (except for that one nurse….you know who you are because I’m sure Cathy is haunting you already)!
“In the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne