Catherine Elizabeth Cannon

Catherine Elizabeth “Cay”

Cannon passed away

on April 16, 2010

from natural causes

at the Motion Picture

Home in Woodland

Hills, CA. She was

81 years old. Cay

was born on May 26,

1928 in Springfield,

Massachusetts, the

second child of

Richard Hartley and Katherine Alexandra Fox and spent

her formative years in Hartford, Connecticut, graduating

from Bulkeley High School in 1946.

Following her marriage to Thomas Patrick Cannon

the couple moved west to California, settling in Laguna

Beach, where she began a life long passion and career as

a ballroom dancer, teacher, Arthur Murray studio owner,

and master examiner.

Cay’s leadership position in the dance industry led

her to publish two dance magazines — Dance Action

International and Jitterbug. In 1988 Cay founded and was

CEO of the Feather Awards, which celebrated national

and international ballroom dance achievement. Later

she taught precision formation dance to the visually

impaired at the Braille Institute for the Blind. In 2002,

as an acknowledgement of her extensive contributions to

dance, Cay received the Special Recognition Award from

the Swing Dance National Hall of Fame.

Cay is survived by her son, Richard Hartley Cannon;

daughter Katherine Cannon Butler and spouse Dean M.

Butler; grandson Colin Thomas Chambers and spouse

Kim Lerner and granddaughter, Amber Elizabeth Cannon

— all of Los Angeles. Stepdaughters Chris Kelley and

Carol Moffat in the San Francisco Bay Area and Connie

Miller in Laguna Beach, CA also survive her.

Cay’s family would like to send their love and heartfelt

thanks to all the personal caregivers in Long-Term Care at

the Motion Picture Home.

Services will be private in Laguna Beach, CA and

Hartford, CT. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to

the Humane Society.