Obituary of Cathy Hanby-Sikora

Cathy Hanby-Sikora passed away peacefully at her home in Chapel Hill, NC on Friday, December 4, 2020 at the age of 65.

Cathy was born on January 18th, 1955, in Birmingham, Alabama to the late Alfred and Francis Hanby. After graduating from Grace King High School in Metairie, Louisiana, she went on to get a BA in History, Folklore, & Political Science from Samford University, then an MA in Intercultural Studies from Western Kentucky University. 

Cathy’s career in fundraising included positions at Indiana University, Duke University, All Kinds Of Minds and The University of North Carolina. Cathy also ran her own consulting business, Hanby-Sikora & Associates from 2003 to 2008.

In addition to her career in fundraising, Cathy also owned and operated a full service equestrian farm for nearly ten years. Her other passions included music, travel and architectural design. To all of her personal and professional endeavors, Cathy brought a spirit of kindness, compassion and intelligence that will be missed all who knew her.

Left to cherish her memory are her beloved sons, Ethan & Adam Sikora, her brother Thomas Hanby, and daughter- in-law Shana Jarrett. 

A memorial service was held on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at Walker’s Funeral Home in Mebane, NC. 

To honor her memory and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compass Center for Women and Families in Chapel Hill, NC (please use the link on the left).

Walker’s Funeral Home of Mebane is serving the family.