Catherine Milda Ackun

Catherine Milda Auguste (Milda) was born on the 30th of April 1934 to William Wilfred Auguste and Rose Mary Opportune Auguste (nee' Beausoliel) in Castries, the capital of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. By all accounts she had a wonderful childhood filled with lots of play with her eight siblings. In time she grew into a precocious teenager who enjoyed reading and spending time alone. At times she found herself on the beach. At other times she wandered the gardens of their home up on Morne Fortune, marveling at the many species of trees, shrubs and flowers, some of which had been planted decades before, dating back to when "the Morne" was a military garrison. Catherine attended the St. Joseph Convent School in Castries becoming one of the first students to earn a scholarship to the convent's secondary school. She did very well in secondary school and was one of the first two students to take the Higher School Certificate Examination which she passed with high marks. After secondary school Catherine left St. Lucia at age 18 for further study in England having earned another scholarship. Her mother spent a lot of time making her a hat to take with her on the long voyage by sea. She attended nursing school and then worked for a time in London as a nurse. During her time in England, Catherine met an engineering student from Ghana, Jacob Ackun, and eventually travelled by sea to West Africa where the two were married in 1959. They had four children Jacob, Jacqueline (Jackie), Rose (Rosie) and Catherine. In the early years in Ghana, Catherine spent time raising her children and working as a teacher. Tragically the young family lost their last two children in infancy, and at a relatively young age Catherine found herself on the verge of losing her own life. Miraculously, she was saved by her mothers prayers, and that experience shaped the rest of Catherine's life. She embraced her religious upbringing, becoming ever more devout. She still loved calypso music including songs by the Mighty Sparrow. However, prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to Mother Mary were becoming much more important. Years later, Catherine read The Message Of Merciful Love To Little Souls which comprise a series of conversations between our Lord and Marguerite. She travelled to Belgium to meet Marguerite who had founded the "Little Souls". Upon returning to Ghana Catherine founded a Little Souls prayer group at Christ The King parish in Accra, Ghana and inspired many to renew their faith in Christ. In the mid 1980's Catherine retired from Lufthansa German Airlines where she had worked for many years at their head office in Accra. A few years after the death of her husband, Catherine left Ghana and moved to New Jersey to stay with her daughter Jackie and help to raise her three young children. Catherine also enjoyed arts and crafts, gardening and experimenting with recipes she found. She remained an avid reader and loved her collection of religious books. She also loved making scrap books filled with recipes and various arts and crafts. She had very close bonds with her sisters Lilly, Alix and Cherry who lived in North America. However, Catherine's Catholic religion was more important to her than anything else. She attended mass regularly and always sought to grow in faith. As the years went by Catherine relocated from New Jersey, to Virginia and then to North Carolina. She was loved and admired by all who got to know her. She watched her grandchildren grow into young men and women much like she had seen her own children do many years before. Her favorite time of year was Christmas and she loved to spend the holidays surrounded by fiends and family. Catherine Ackun passed away on July 21, 2026 at the age of 92 after being ill for many months. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Jacob and Doris Ackun, by her daughter and son-in-law Jacqueline and Rashid Raji, by her grandchildren Rashid Raji (Sheed), Amirah Raji (Missy), Majid Raji (Jidi), Haley Ackun, Maria Ackun, her great grandson Kaleb Humphrey, her sisters Lily Spence, Cherry Erickson and their families, her extended family and her friends, all of who loved her dearly. Catherine is preceded in death by her husband Jacob Sr., her daughters Rose and Catherine, her parents William and Rose, and her sisters Alix, Maude, Dorothy, Winnie, Martha and Theresa. May the Lord in his infinite wisdom and mercy embrace and keep his "Little Soul" resting in peace with Him forever. Amen.

Catherine Milda Ackun

April 30, 1934 - July 21, 2026