Catherine Garland Mapp Tolbert Obituary

Catherine Garland Mapp Tolbert, better known as Cathy, of Onley, VA, passed away on Friday, June 27, 2025, at Shore Health and Rehabilitation Center in Parksley, VA.
From the very beginning, Cathy made a memorable entrance into the world-born on July 25, 1951, in the medical tent during Pony Penning. She was a joyful surprise to her parents, Garland Bowdoin Mapp and Lena Custis Mapp (née Mears).
Raised in Wachapreague, VA, Cathy-affectionately called "Cappy" by her father-was a firecracker from the start. Though she stood just five feet tall, her presence filled every room. Quick with a comeback and always ready with a story, she was unforgettable-equal parts fierce and funny, with a heart as big as the tide.
After graduating from Central High School in 1969, Cathy pursued her calling in nursing at the Bessie B. Anderson School of Nursing, completing her studies in 1970. Her deep compassion and love for people made her a natural caregiver, and nursing became not just a profession but a legacy of kindness she carried throughout her life.
But it was one impulsive decision-not to babysit one evening-that changed everything. Instead, Cathy decided to go cruising at Fork's Grill. That same night, a tall, quiet young man named Butch Tolbert was driving around with his buddies. A few playful catcalls later, fate intervened, and five-foot Cathy met her six-foot-three match. They were opposites in every way-she, bold and spirited; he, calm and steady-but together, they were perfectly balanced. They married in 1972 at Wachapreague United Methodist Church and built a beautiful life together, raising two daughters who were the center of their world.
Home was where music played and laughter echoed. Cathy and Butch could often be found dancing around the kitchen to Carolina Beach Music or Motown classics, twirling to "Stop in the Name of Love" while Rebecca and Catherine watched with wide eyes and full hearts. Even in her final week, Cathy was still singing "My Girl" with her daughter Rebecca-proof that love and music lived on in her.
She adored her daughters-even through those teenage years when nothing a mother said seemed right. She stood firm, taught them the value of education, resilience, and humor, and left them with countless cherished memories-especially those conversations around the kitchen table. Rebecca and Catherine inherited their mother's sharp wit, generous spirit, and deep capacity to care. They will miss her beyond words, but her love remains woven into the very fabric of who they are.
Cathy is survived by her two peas in a pod-her daughters, Catherine Noelle Tolbert-Nisbet and her husband, John, of Virginia Beach, VA, and Rebecca Anne Tolbert of Exmore, VA. She also leaves behind her beloved brothers, James William Mapp and wife, Eva, of Charlottesville, VA, and Mason Lang Mapp and wife, Rose, of Wachapreague, VA; siblings, Anna Stoft and Richard Mapp; grandchildren, Abbigail "Abbi" Brook Stevens Jurek and her husband, Noah, of Virginia Beach, VA, George "Wil" William Tolbert Stevens of Virginia Beach, VA, and John Aidan Tolbert Schleif of Exmore, VA; several nieces and nephews; and dear friend, Christina Lemieux.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Garland and Lena Mapp, and her husband John "Butch" William Tolbert.
A Memorial service honoring Cathy's life will be held at Williams-Onancock Funeral Home on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., with the Reverend Bill McClung officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Cathy's name may be made to Kindness Matters Rescue, Inc., 295 Powell Circle, Berlin MD 21811.
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Catherine Garland Mapp Tolbert, please visit our floral store.