Catherine Jo Stevenson

May 12, 1947 — July 17, 2026

Catherine Stevenson

Service Details

Catherine Jo Stevenson, age 79, of Johnston, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Catherine (Cathy) was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947 to Floyd Dean and Dorothy Fay (Gray) Reynolds. In 1966, Cathy married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, James (Jim) Warren Stevenson. Cathy and Jim were the proud parents of two daughters and five grandchildren.

Cathy went back to school in 1979 to study Nursing, simultaneously studying and raising two children. She graduated from Grand View College in 1983 with a B.A. in Nursing, and a 3.5 GPA. She then went on to earn her Masters of Science in Nursing from Drake University in 1995 with a 3.94 GPA. Following that, she completed her Post Masters Certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2000 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE, where she achieved a 4.0 GPA.

Cathy had an extraordinary career spanning 34 years in the medical field. She began the first five years of her career at Iowa Lutheran Hospital as a nurse in the Coronary Intensive Care Unit, and then as a Staff Development Educator. During that time, she also served as a weekend and on-call nurse for both Hospice of Central Iowa, and Chest and Infectious Disease and Critical Care Associates, PC. Cathy then moved on to Iowa Heart Center as a clinical research nurse and study coordinator. From there, she coordinated and conducted national clinical research trials while continuing to care for her patients as a nurse in the Coronary Care Unit at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

During this time, Cathy also worked to educate future nurses as an Instructor of Nursing for four years, then as Assistant Professor of Nursing for an additional five years at the Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. Cathy taught an entire generation of nurses, many of whom are likely still treating patients today.

In 2001, Cathy began her career as a Family Nurse Practitioner, working to provide holistic, family-centered primary care to patients part-time at Heart and Hands Women’s and Children’s Health Center, and the Visiting Nurse Service in Des Moines, Iowa.

Perhaps her most rewarding experience, however, was serving as the Family Nurse Practitioner at La Clinica de la Esperanza — Iowa Health System’s bilingual primary care clinic — where she worked from 2001 until she retired in 2017. Cathy was fluent in Spanish, and incredibly dedicated to serving the Hispanic population.

Cathy was known by her family and friends as an animal lover, arts connoisseur, traveler, and flower enthusiast. Cathy had pets nearly her whole life, and a deep love for animals, from her first dog Laddie to her beloved Australian Terriers Julio and Winston, and her cat Tikki. She always had a love of horses, stemming from her beloved childhood horse Torianna. Those who knew Cathy well will remember that her home was filled with an extensive collection of horse statues and paintings.

You could often find Cathy and her close-knit group of friends, Bernie, Bill, Luz, and Lonnie at the Des Moines Civic Center watching the Broadway series, or basking in the music at local jazz and symphony concerts. Cathy’s love for the arts was unmatched, and every room in her home was filled to the brim with art pieces that she loved. Cathy was also an incredibly talented artist herself, and many of the pieces in her home were created by her. There are many of us who will fondly remember Cathy running around her house singing ABBA, her love for music springing out at any moment.

In their free time, Cathy and her husband Jim enjoyed camping and traveling across the country in their RV, frequently visiting the Badlands, Yellowstone, and even as far as the Oregon and Washington coast. Later in life, Cathy took to traveling around the world with her friend group and her sister, visiting museums, art exhibits, and cultural beauties across the US and Europe. She especially enjoyed her trips to England, Greece, and Italy, and was always sure to bring back a souvenir from her travels.

Cathy was also known for her extensive flower garden, where she loved to grow stunning heirloom flowers. In every house she owned, Cathy always made sure she had a colorful and diverse bed of flowers in her yard.

Catherine is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy Fay (Gray) and Floyd Dean Reynolds; her husband, James Warren Stevenson; and her brother, James Dean Reynolds. She is survived by her two daughters, Virginia “Ginger” Anne Stevenson (Ian Bradley) and Erika Lynn (Matt) Wilson; her sister, Judith Holsinger; and her grandchildren, Grayson Eric Stevenson, Dale James Kilker, Gage Dylan Kilker, Madeleine Smith Bradley, and Leilani Stevenson Bradley; as well as one niece, three nephews, and six great nieces and nephews.

Special thanks to Dr. Joshua Lukenbill, DO, and Julie Shryock, ARNP, of Mission Cancer + Blood for their exceptional care and support.

Cathy’s memorial will be held on July 29th, 2026, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines, IA, 50309. A visitation will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with the memorial service after, beginning at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Des Moines Art Center or Reiman Gardens in Ames.