Marianne Moore, a 16-year volunteer at the cat sanctuary of the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) and founder of the Kitty Comforter Program, passed away on July 20 after a long fight with cancer, aged 69.
“It is very difficult. I don’t think we’ve lost anyone like this for a long time,” Janet Reid, retired manager of the cat sanctuary, told the Richmond News.
“I’ve put out notices to so many people because they all know her. Everyone said the same thing: she was just the nicest person and the nicest animal helper.”
Joining the cat sanctuary as a weekly volunteer cleaner in 2002, Moore came up with an idea to build a kitty comforter program.
Because she knew we have cats that weren’t friendly and they have to be kept in cages. She felt bad that we never got time to spend with them,” recalled Reid.
“She took the idea to the board at the time, presented the program and they wanted to run it. That was the start.”
Through this program, Moore and other volunteers devoted one-on-one attention to the cats, helping them adapt to their new circumstances and to build trust in their new human friends.
Eyal Lichtmann, CEO of RAPS, wrote in a memorial that this innovation “changes the lives of the many animals who come to us fearful and unsocialized."
"All my interaction with Moore has been incredibly positive," said Lichtmann to the News.
“She was a woman who always came up with ideas. She had a very entrepreneurial way of thinking, and she absolutely loved the sanctuary,” said Lichtmann.
Moore and her husband contributed to the Moore House, a single trailer which Lichtmann describes as “one of the most important places for senior cats to find quiet and peace.”
She also took people on tours around the sanctuary every Sunday, provided financial sponsorship to many cats and organized RAPS’ summer parties.
For more than a year after her cancer diagnosis, Moore didn’t stop cleaning the sanctuary until four months ago, she said “her back was hurting,” recalled Reid.
Having worked with Moore at RAPS for 14 years, Reid said she was someone who always asked everybody about themselves but never talked about herself.
“She was a very quiet person. She didn’t tell a lot of things to other people, or say what she did to help. She would just go ahead and do them,” said Reid.
“Even after she developed cancer, she still didn’t talk about her illness. She would always direct the conversation back to you, which was just amazing.
“She made everybody feel so comfortable around her. That was the way she was right till the end.”
Last Wednesday, just two days before she passed away, Marianne was recognized at the RAPS annual general meeting for her years of caring and commitment.
A service is being held on Thursday, July 26 at 11 a.m. at St Joseph the Worker, 4451 Williams Rd.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to RAPS online at RAPSbc.com.
Marianne is survived by her husband Doug and her two cats, Puck and Lucy, and her brothers Ken and Jim Strueby of Chilliwack.
