To many, Spanish instructor Catherine Ann Faires was known as a courageous, family-oriented woman, full of hope and great faith.

Faires, 37, died of ovarian cancer on Dec. 17. She was diagnosed a year ago.

Faires, survived by her mother, Janice, was born on Sep. 5, 1967. She grew up in Arcola, Ill. with her sister, April Faires (Lee) and brother, J.B. Faires.

Faires earned her bachelor of arts degree in Spanish in 1989 from Eastern Illinois University and her master’s degree in Spanish in 1995 from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

Faires began teaching FLSP 101 through 202 at NIU in 2000.

“She was very popular,” said Robert Walsh, assistant coordinator of teacher certification. “A lot of her students took her classes a second time – if they had her one semester, they wanted to have her again.”

Walsh took over teaching Faires’ 2004 fall semester classes after she was unable to teach.

One of her students, Linda Alberty, a freshman corporate communication major, said Faires was very outgoing and a wonderful person who always maintained a happy attitude.

Faires enjoyed reading, traveling and spending time with her family.

Close friend and co-worker Kerry Chermel, a Spanish instructor, said Faires had traveled to Costa Rica, Spain, Nicaragua and Mexico.

Faires was also intrigued by her family history and made many trips to Iowa to look up family records and study genealogy, said John Hartmann, a foreign language and literature professor.

Hartmann said Faires, a member of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, “felt her religion had sustained her through months and months of chemotherapy.”

“She never gave up or complained,” Chermel said. “Despite her cancer, she lived her life fully to the end; she was a role model and a wonderful person.”

Michelle Perry, a close friend and American Cancer Society member, said though Faires was weak, they had taken a church trip to Los Angeles to see the ”Billy Graham Crusade.”

“She had a Godly heart and was very witty,” Perry said. “She had touched the lives of many people. She knew the Lord and that was an important part of her life. She will be greatly missed, but we will see her again soon.”

Faires live on not only in the hearts of those who knew her, but also through a documentary she worked on during her cancer struggle.

Donny Williams, a director and producer, titled the documentary “Six to Eight Months: A Walk of Faith Through Cancer.” The film depicts Faires’ daily activities, such as when she visited her family or received chemotherapy, and will include interviews from friends and family, he said.

Williams said he plans to finish editing the 60- to 90-minute film by June, show it at several film festivals and package it for use by Christian Churches and Cancer Research.