Catherine O'Hara and Bo Welch's love story began on the set of the 1988 film Beetlejuice, where she starred as Delia Deetz and he served as production designer. The pair met in 1987, and O'Hara recalled that Welch would talk to her every day by their lockers but never asked her out. Frustrated, she confided in director Tim Burton, who intervened and urged Welch to make a move.
Welch eventually invited O'Hara to join the art department at a swap meet while filming in Vermont. She later joked that it felt as though he had been 'forced' into asking her out, but the relationship flourished. O'Hara moved from Canada to Los Angeles to be with Welch, and they married in a low-key ceremony on 25 April 1992. As a wedding gift, Burton arranged a private tour of the Vatican, including the Pope's private quarters, which O'Hara described as 'crazy'.
The couple had two sons, Matthew, now 32, and Luke, 29, both of whom work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. O'Hara spoke candidly about the challenges of long-term marriage, noting that they had been through 'rough times' but both wanted to work on it. She credited laughter, respect and communication—often delivered through sarcasm and jokes—as key to their 33-year marriage.
O'Hara passed away at her home in Los Angeles on 30 January following a brief illness. She is survived by her husband, their sons, and siblings Michael, Mary Margaret, Maureen Jolley, Marcus, Tom and Patricia Wallice. Her career, which began with the Second City comedy group in Toronto, included Emmy-winning roles on SCTV and Schitt's Creek, as well as iconic film roles in Home Alone.
