Condolence: May you RIP Lorne - I will miss you friend.
We shared many years of friendship & cat stories!

Condolence: Cats and a Chevy Camaro

Once upon a time, while visiting my good friend LeeAnn Trimble in the early 1980’s, I met a new friend. I watched as he intently bathed his baby outside in the Florida sunshine….A white Chevy Camaro, with tinted T-tops! If my memory serves me correctly (and it does) he cared more for that Camaro and it’s appearance than anyone could fathom! Always washing, waxing, and pampering … That Camaro was the host of many long rides, conversations, tears, sarcasm, gut-laughter, and life discussions about politics, music, family, tennis, tennis, tennis, swimming, swimming, skiing, skiing, skiing, skiing.. well you get the picture. Lorne loved his Camaro and he loved physical activity and personal sports. He was always aiming to get in better shape through the torture of running shoes, water skies, or personal training machines. I listened intently to his “get in shape speeches” while I munched on a bag of Doritos most of the time. I loved his passion for improving his health and wanting to look his best to impress innocent young ladies at the pool side or on the beach. We were the best of friends in our younger years. After I was married in the late 1980’s our lives drifted, but would circle back on occasion. We seemed to always pick up where we left off. We would catch up on family, friends, movies, and current events. He often spoke of LeeAnn and Albert and positive events in their adults lives and careers.

We had an on-going dispute over cats and dogs. I was a life-long cat person and he was a hard-core, non-negotiable, K-9 fan. I remember his words: “dogs are best because cats cannot be trusted”. I had 3 cats and he DID NOT EVEN TRY TO LIKE THEM. Well, Midnight changed all of that. Midnight was a tiny homeless black kitten that appeared at Lorne’s condo one day. I gave him my very best cat-lover advise and he insisted “this kitten needs to go away”. Well, sparing long details of tears and protest, Midnight found his furever home with my dog-loving friend, Lorne. Little did he know, but Midnight was the beginning of 20-plus years of Lorne’s metamorphosis from a dog-person TO A CAT-LOVER! I could not even estimate the number of lives Lorne is responsible for saving (and preventing) through animal rescue and fix/release programs. He truly had a big heart and a bottomless wallet when it came to bettering the lives of animals, especially cats. The day Midnight died, was one of the saddest conversations we ever shared. Tears.

Loren and I got ever closer after his cancer diagnosis. The thought of losing a life-long friend was unbearable. It still is. Perhaps the sweetest words I ever heard him say were: “Betty, the worst part of my life, brought back the best part of my life. Julie.”. He always referred to Julie as his special sweetie and he never stopped loving her. Never. Julie is truly the love of Lorne’s life and was at his side through better and worse. I am honored to know such a strong woman.

Lorne Trimble and I shared over 30 years of friendship, tears and laughter. I will always cherish the memory of my special cat-loving friend, Lorne Trimble.

So yes, it all started with a Chevy Camaro… and ended with cats.

Condolence: This earth is a colder place after losing such a gentle soul as Lorne. I will miss you friend.