Catherine "Tinka" Hrabovsky

Hrabovsky, Catherine "Tinka", 93, of Brattleboro passed away Wednsday, July 25th, 2018 peacefully with family by her side. Catherine was born in Bridgeport, CT to Macedonian immigrants Anna (Neda) Sevenoff and Triphon Karacoliff. She was raised with her brother Chris and sisters Stella and Phyllis in an old style wood house with grape vines and large porches on Gurdon Street in Bridgeport CT. Catherine attended Central High School and enjoyed wonderful summers at Seaside Park on Long Island Sound, where Glen Miller played in open air performances to growing crowds. Catherine met Dean Rickman in 1942 at a Yale University dance held for service men in training. They were married and Catherine moved with her husband to Burbank CA, where Dean received Army Air Force photography Training. A striking ethnic beauty, Catherine was approached many times by movie producers and directors to take screen tests and auditions, but the young 18 year old, far from home, declined the offers. When Dean was shipped out to Italy, Catherine moved to Dean's hometown of Wichita KS. After the war, Catherine gave birth to two children, James and Charles (Chucky). The marriage didn't last and Catherine returned to the East. She bought a small home on Chestnut Hill road in Trumbull CT, not far from where she grew up in Bridgeport, and raised her two children in idyllic suburban Connecticut. As time passed, Catherine met Alexander (Ollie) T. Hrabovsky, a handsome Slovak construction worker. They married and had a child together, Paul. Catherine and Alex enjoyed skiing in VT and eventually moved to Wilmington with their son where they opened a ski lodge called "The Long Trail Lodge". Alex started a plumbing company that installed heating equipment and plumbing in many of the lodges, homes and schools in the area built in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Catherine rediscovered her talent for art and produced many skillfully done oil paintings of Vermont scenes and her family. She also wrote and published a very moving book of poetry that included this verse: Snow is quiet falls silently God's message concealed In each snowflake Catherine is predeceased by her son Charles Rickman, and survived by Sons: James Rickman of Westerville OH and Paul Hrabovsky of Brattleboro VT. Her grandsons are James Dean of Gallatin TN, Scott Rickman of Greenwich CT and Alex Hrabovsky of Brattleboro VT. Catherine's great-grand son, Chance A. Hrabovsky, lives in Brattleboro with his parents Alex and Angeline. Her great grand-daughter, Faith, lives in Gallatin TN with her parents, grandson James and his wife Katie. Great-grandson Andrew lives in Merrimac MA. Catherine's loving sisters, Stella and Phyllis, and her charming nieces, Diana Demayo-Brown and Neda Demayo live in CA. A Graveside service for Catherine will be held at 12:00pn Tuesday, July 31st ,2018 at Riverview cemetary, Stowe Hill rd., Wilmington. A Graveside service for Catherine will be held at 12:00pn Tuesday, July 31st ,2018 at Riverview cemetary, Stowe Hill rd., Wilmington.