Eulalia (Laly) Cataldo, age 84, of O’Fallon, Missouri, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, following a lengthy illness with kidney disease. To the praise of our Lord, Laly passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family, who showered her with much love and affection. Laly was preceded in death by John Walter Cataldo (loving husband) and Bryan Patrick Cataldo (loving son) of Springfield, Missouri and most recently, deaths of her middle sister Cecilia Katacic (cherished sister) and (loving husband) Damir from Croatia.

Laly is survived by her daughter Sandy Gigax (husband Jeff Gigax) in O’Fallon, her son Michael Cataldo of Springfield, grandchildren Joel Gigax and Andrew Gigax (wife Samantha), and two great grandchildren Aubrey and Renzo Gigax. Laly is survived by her siblings Fabian Hidalgo Davalos (wife Edithe) in San Cristobal, Galapagos; Alfonso Hidalgo Davalos in Quito, Patricio Hidalgo Davalos (wife Zoila) in Quito, and Genoveva Robinson (husband John) in California. She is survived by several nieces and nephews as well.

Laly was born in Quito, Ecuador, South America on August 2, 1935. She pursued her dream of moving to Long Beach, CA in 1961 and a few years later became a U.S. citizen. Laly was very patriotic and loved the United States. She married John W. Cataldo  in 1969 and moved to Springfield, MO, where she lived a majority of her adult life.

Laly was a hard worker and did everything with a strong passion. She was an amazing gardener and grew a variety of fragrant flowers and tropical plants. Neighbors and friends admired her flower beds and often joked that her thumb was so green that artificial plants could flourish under her care. She also worked tirelessly in the family garden with her husband and three children. She enjoyed canning the fruits of her labor as well as giving her garden delights to neighbors and friends. Laly could always be found in the kitchen trying a new recipe or inventing one. She was a master chef and enjoyed learning about the history of delicious cuisines. She was known for making award winning sesame seed braided bread, which was highlighted in the Springfield News-Leader and Press. She also made magnificent flan and empanadas. Laly worked for Hudson Foods and then went to work for St. John’s Marian Center until her retirement. Her great love for her family was very evident and she enjoyed many family celebrations, traveling domestically and internationally, and spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Laly loved the Lord and taught her children to love Him as well. She was dedicated to Christ all the days of her life. She attended Second Baptist Church in Springfield where she enjoyed being a part of an active and loving women’s Sunday School class. She was a long time member of the Spanish Club and the Elks Lodge.

Services for Eulalia will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 11, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East with burial following the service at 1:00 p.m. Springfield National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the samaritanpurse.org. and the Foundation for the Blind.