His name was Omar and I will miss him for a long, long time.

He never said how old he was, he found this house one cold February morning in 1996
and quickly worked his way deep into my heart. In the days after he left for the bridge
on July 12, 1998, I was touched and a little astonished at just how many other people
(and kitties) had come to love him, too.

Many (so many!) sent consolation and comfort, memorial poems, and
expressed their own sorrow at his loss privately to his grieving mom.

Three generously made room for him on their web sites:
Daphne made a page for him, and both Kami and
Tony added him to pages on their sites.

On r.p.c.c, quite a few of his kitty friends gathered at the home of Indra
for a memorial where they read poems and performed special songs in his honor.

This is a collection of some of those wonderful, healing words.

With my gratitude and deep affection,
Melissa, Omar's mom

Afterwards

To Omar

Ginger colored friend
sleep well.
With all of those we've lost
you'll dwell.

In the place of rainbow skies
we can see with inner eyes,
and know that you are there
safe and warm, and in the care
of those who've gone before,
who have let you in the door.

To live within our memories,
of you.
Gentle Omar, with our love we
bid adieu.

S. Davis 1998

Here'z a littul poem that my meowmie helped me write,
I hope it captures my furend and thuh love he shared...

Ode To Omar

To our Omar, forever sweet,
Without you our lives never complete.

So many are the friends you made,
That the memories of you shall never fade.

Many are the tears we cry,
As you with new fur wings to the bridge fly.

So sweet Omar, let the stars be your guide
So that your soul may find the Rainbow Bridge and love be always at your side.

All our love to Omar and Anti M
Indra and Stef

Excerpts from the Memorial on r.p.c.c:

(A tall Tabby puts the last touches on a plate of salmon cakes and makes
sure the punch is just the right temperature. She checks the mic on the
podium and arranges the flowers around Omar's portrait.)

The guestz shood be teleporting soon! If yoo get lost pleaze luk for the
blak ribbon on the door.

Indra, awaiting her guests

From the Batson Cats:

(Domonic slowly makes his way up to the podium with paper in paw.)

Uhhhhh hmmm Hello evfurry kitty. Az sum uff yew know, Otis, Abbie an I arh
farely noo tew yurown groop. Wee wer sew grashully welkumed by Omar an sew
menny uther kittys. But Omar held a spechull playce in arh hartz. Hee wuz
alwheyz sew kind an konciderate an nevfurr afrade tew giff sum much needed
advize. Wee will miss him deerly an have azked ourown Meowmie Renee tew hep
uz rite diz poem wich I shall reed furr yew naow.

Omar..... Our Friend

Although we did not know you long,
Our brief encounters few,
We saw your heart could do no wrong,
Our friendship just brand new.

You gently welcomed all of us,
Counseled, greeted, cared,
You never once made a fuss,
Just good advice you shared.

It seems your life down here on earth,
Was brief with those you loved,
But time cannot measure ones worth,
When one is so beloved.

So, Omar our wise and furry friend,
Your memory lives on with us all,
Goodbye 'til we meet with you again,
At the Rainbow Bridge we will call.

(Dommie makes his way back to his seat and sits down next to Otis and Abbie
who are gently wiping the tears from their eyes.)

by Abigail, Domonic, Otis and Anti Renee Batson

From the Ballard Bunch

(After the Siameze Cat Chorale haz sung "Amazing Grace," and Onyx and
Shahna have purrformed "Goodbye Furry Friend," soft sniffles can be
heard inna room, an not a few kitty eyes are dabbed wif fluffy kitty
tails. Now Skye Silversong, dressed in her sleek smoke an white tuxedo
furs, steps up to thuh microphone.)

Efurrykitty, if yew wud luk at thuh liddle beigey-orinj program yew
picked up atta door, yew'll see thuh werdz to alla songz we're singing
in Omar's honner today. At thuh end uv thuh memorial, we'll ask
efurrykitty to join us in singing Ofur thuh Rainbow. But now we wud
like to sing a song that my bestest frend, an thuh Mewsical Direktor uv
thuh Siameze Cat Club Chorale -- Ceilidh Flurrydance -- haz written just
fur Omar. Omar luved to lern noo werds, so she used sum uv his werdz
inna song. Yew'll recognize thuh toon: "Oh my Papa." Ceilidh calls it
"Omar's Feeme."

(And Skye turns to thuh chorus and leads them in the song)

Oh my, Omar! Yew were a purrfit gentil cat.
Oh my, Omar! Always a werd uv love.
We see yew now, in yer Number Free hardhat,
Keeping thuh rolls uv all our frends above.

Oh my, Omar! yew were so furry generous,
Sharing wif all yer perspicacity.
Whenefur thuh werld seemed a liddle tenebrous,
Yer lenitive purrs wud set our spiritz free.

Oh my, Omar, yew were a purrfit gentil cat.
Oh my, Omar, we remember yew wif love.

--Ceilidh, Skye, & Talisker Pippin

From the Newfield cats:

I haf a memoreeal tribuut fur Omar.

(Buddy Jo slowly walks up to the podium, gently dabbing her eyes. Tinsel Bean,
Chip, Pepsi, Sierra Blue, Sapphire, Arizona and Diamond all sit very quietly as
they watch their sister at the podium.)

Wee Newfield cats ar noo tew da rpcc, but in da liddle tyme dat we new Omar,
wee felt he wuz a speshul cat. Heer is sumfin I wrote on behaf uv awl uv us.
(girl kitty gently wipes her eyes again)

Wat Omar ment tew us:

Wee wil miss yew Omar! (gulp)
Til wee meet agan at da bridge....

(Buddy Jo again wipes her eyes and hurries to sit down beside her winkwink
Dommie. Dommie puts his paw around her to comfort her.)

Eulogy by Indra

(Indra clears her throat as she climbs up to the podium)
Can everykitty pleaze be seeted! I'ze so glud tew see so many kitties haf come to
remembur Omar our speciol furend. I wood like now tew read a speciol ulogy
which I haf ritten in hiz honor.

(Indra stands looking serious but slightly neverous)

Ahem...

Looking upon so many kitties, it is easy to see how much Omar touched the
lives of all around him.

Although I can not claim to have know him as well as some of you, I do know
that I owe so much of my life to him. Above all he was the one that first
introduced me to my beloved winkwink Norry (Indra looks up at Norry and
blushes slightly) and was the best wink in law a girlkitty could ask for.
He also stayed with me throughout my Registered Cat Nurse training and
helped me care for my meowmie when she was so sick. Thanks to him and all
the nights he stayed up helping me study the 10 signs of an ailing human
(something I never thought I learn (chuckle)) I graduated at the top of my
class. But these are just a few of the things that made him so special to
me and I now would like to ask all of you to take a few moments and think
of the many things that made him special to you. (Indra bows her head for
a few moments of silence)

Thank you Omar from all of us for being such a good friend, uncle,
confidant, brother, wink in law, professor, and son. We will all miss you,
but in turn will never let each other forget how you continue to touch all
of our lives from the Rainbow Bridge.

We love you, Omar.

Thank you...(Indra steps down from the podium, wiping the tears from her eyes)

Indra Cat RCN

The House of Patterson/Guyette

(Norville rises, gives Indra a slooooow blink of appreciation, and takes the podium)

Fangu, Indra, for all of the work you've done to make this gathering possible,
and fangu to everyone who has participated with so much kindness
and love for our kittybrofur, Omar.

Omar was a proud member of the Orange Cats Club, a founding member of the
Himalayan and Persian Cats Club, a member of the Great Girtha fan club, an
honorary Maine Coon (awarded posthumously), an honorary member of the Tabby
Cats Club, and the Official Unclekitty of the Comeback Kitties. This last
group was very dear to his heart, he was always quick to sympathize with
and encourage any kitty who had been lost or tossed in the Out.

Omar was the spokeskitty of the House of Patterson/Guyette. He
enjoyed meeting new friends and chatting quietly with old. No one
could ever be frightened of Omar, he had a kind heart and it showed
clearly in his orange eyes and gentle good manners.

We will miss him terribly, but it warms our hearts to see how many
good and true friends he made in the short time he made ourhouse his
OneTrueHome.

Fangu, everykitty, for coming here today to remember and honor our Omar.

(As the Siamese Cat Chorale begins to sing "Ofur the Rainbow",
Norville returns to his seat between his kittysisters Mietze and Neko
and a tiny little grey girl, Omar's special friend Irene, who is silently
holding a small fish toy on her lap.)