First woman police officer in Marlborough to earn a full pension dies of cancer

MARLBOROUGH — Catherine Digou was stubborn, loving and protective of her family and friends.

It served Digou well, as even while battling cancer she remained on duty with the Marlborough Police Department, her sister Cynthia Madden said.

Digou, 62, died March 8 after a three-year struggle with small tissue sarcoma. She was the first female officer in Marlborough to retire with a full pension.

"When she first got diagnosed, everyone encouraged her to retire then, but she would not," said Madden. "She said she wasn't going to quit, she wanted to become the first woman to earn a full pension. She would not quit until she reached that pension."

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The daughter of the late Charles Sr. and Lucile Digou, Catherine was one of nine siblings. She grew up in Marlborough, graduating from Marlborough High School in 1979. Like the rest of her family, she worked at her parents' diner, the Chuck Wagon on Lincoln Street, before becoming a so-called "meter maid," which sparked her interest in policing.

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Digou joined the Marlborough Police Department in May 1990 as a reserve officer, Police Capt. Timothy Naze said. She became a dispatcher in July 1996 and, after becoming a student officer at the Agawam Municipal Police Recruit Academy, she was the first woman to win the Director's Award. She joined the Marlborough Police Department as a full-time police officer in September 1996.

"She was a great person, she was a hard worker," said Naze. "She would do anything for anybody. She was always the first to volunteer to work any of our events and any of the charities we took part in. Even when we were short dispatchers, she would step in and work dispatch."

Digou retired in May 2022.

A mother of two with six grandchildren, she volunteered to take part in the city's annual Labor Day Parade every year, Madden said.

"She'd drive in the cruiser and take the kids with her so they could throw out candy to everyone," Madden said.

Digou loved to help people and would love baking her famous whoopie pies and cooking meatballs.

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She was also stubborn, but always seemed to get over it.

"If she got mad at you, God help you, because it may be a year before she would talk to you, but she would always forgive you," said Madden. "The first time she apologized to me was about six months ago — I almost fell over."

Digou's friend, Sharon Collari, said the two of them were always there for one another.

"I'd be driving around on my lunch break, and I'd call her if she was on duty and tell her to pull me over," said Collari. "She would pull me over with all the lights and sirens. It was just great to have that connection. She was great."

'She was tough' and had love for dogs, her sister says

Madden said it's not a surprise that her sister worked despite dealing with the pain of cancer.

"She was tough," she said. "Even as a child, she broke her arm when she was like 3 years old, falling off her tricycle. She was walking around for a week and our parents never knew because she never cried about it."

Along with her family and friends, Digou loved animals, particularly her dog Nikki, Madden said.Due to her love for dogs, the family is asking people to make donations to Massachusetts Vest-a-Dog at MAVestadog.org instead of sending flowers.

Calling hours for Digou will be held 5-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, at Tighe Hamilton Regional Funeral Home, 50 Central St., Hudson, to be followed by a celebration of her life at 7:30 p.m.

"Cathy was a firestorm," said Madden. "I'm not saying that as her family. She was really someone who could not be stopped."

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Retired Marlborough officer Catherine Digou, 62, dies from cancer