Catherine Möller Solomon

Catherine Möller Solomon passed away on March 24th, 2026, surrounded by her family. Cathy, as she became known, was born on August 23rd, 1953, in Wichita Falls, TX, to Blanche C. and Albert V. Möller Jr., the third of five children. She attended Our Lady Queen of Peace for lower school, and then Notre Dame High School, where she was on the drill team, laying the foundation for show-stopping dance moves later in life. In Wichita Falls, she spent time with her extended family, especially her Aunts Clotilde, Corinne and Maude, who set an early example for her as strong, independent women, and served as inspiration for her throughout her life. She went on to attend St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, and embedded herself in the burgeoning Austin social and music scene. She has stories of Threadgill, Antone and Stevie Ray, back before they were household names. Her love of good music never waned. After sticking around in Austin (who wouldn't!), she met David Solomon while working in a shoe store on Guadalupe. As the story goes, he was a boisterous customer who caught her eye and quickly captured her heart. After a few years of dating, they were married in 1982 at the Texas Federation of Women's Clubs Mansion on San Gabriel, with a rehearsal dinner at Old Pecan Street Café (RIP). They made their first home in Cherrywood, and had their first child, Elizabeth Arlene, in 1984. Soon after came Zachary Albert, Eleanor Beatrice, and Samuel Harris (the caboose)-making a tribe of kids who would become known fondly as the Solomonsters, as they, just like their momma (and dad), were noticeably taller than their peers. Cathy loved to cook, and was famous in many circles for her salsa recipe. She even received an honorable mention in the Austin Chronicle's salsa contest in 2002. This salsa has now developed a nationwide cult following as the key ingredient in the best-selling breakfast taco, aptly named "Mom's Migas," at her daughter's breakfast taco company in New York City. The salsa was an integral part of annual camping trips taken with family friends, which were legendary for their sheer amount of controlled chaos, and the rotating breakfasts at each family's campsite. Her passion for salsa translated into other hotly anticipated condiments like onion marmalade and jalapeño cranberry relish that were prominently featured at Thanksgiving, an annual gathering that we've held with the same families since 1987. Our mom's Catholic upbringing was also foundational in her appreciation for and connection to Judaism, prompting her conversion and enthusiastic involvement in the Austin Jewish community. She stayed busy across a variety of organizations-as a president of the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Israel, as NW Hills Kickball League Concession Stand Manager extraordinaire, a dedicated volunteer for Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, and the #1 believer in her kids, her kids' friends, her nieces, and her nephews. You've never met a hype woman like Cathy Solomon. Cathy was an early member of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and always looked forward to wildflower season-an apropos time now for her to rejoin the earth. She was an avid and skilled gardener, with the ability to grow almost anything, and was known to be found gardening well into the evening with a headlamp. One of her favorite places to garden (late-night or otherwise) was at her house on Lake Buchanan, with her loyal sidekick, Mollie, a Border Collie-Corgi mix, who was, indisputably, the favorite child. Her whole life, Cathy had an appreciation for honoring the past. This was expressed through her love of antiques and, as she would say, "items of curiosity." Collecting antiques was a passion she shared with anyone she crossed paths with, and through her business, Catherine's Antiques, exhibiting at Round Top well before it was part of the zeitgeist. Cathy's children were her pride and joy. This joy was only compounded when she became a grandmother, affectionately called "Sassy," a name coined many years ago by her niece as a toddler's attempt to say "Cathy." She loved her grandbabies and granddogs, Dillo and Delilah, with her whole body and soul. Dementia is a thief, and she would have loved nothing more than to have spent more time with them. Catherine is survived by her children, Elizabeth (Nate), Zachary (Catherine), Eleanor (JP), and Sam, her grandchildren, Corinne, Rhea, Millie, Dorothy, Vernon and Siobhan. She is survived by her siblings, Jeanne, Jon, Pamela, and Rebecca Möller, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband and life partner, David Solomon. A Graveside Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in the Congregation Beth Israel section of Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery, 14501 N Interstate Hwy 35, Pflugerville, TX 78660. A Memorial Service will take place after the burial at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2026 at Congregation Beth Israel, 3901 Shoal Creek Blvd, Austin, TX 78756. Donations in her memory can be made to Hospice Austin, at hospiceaustin.org, or the Lewy Body Dementia Association, at lbda.org

Catherine Möller Solomon

August 23, 1953 - March 24, 2026