Friends of Beach School

Sparkles

Farewell to ‘one in a zillion’ cat that adopted Beach Elementary as his own

Exedra Staff | May 17, 2022

The Beach Elementary community lost a beloved neighborhood companion Saturday.

Sparkles, the orange tabby cat known for strolling the school corridors, spending lazy afternoons on the Beach blacktop, and for his nonchalance par excellence, died after being struck by a vehicle outside the school and near his home. Neighbors said they wished drivers came to a full stop before turning right from Lake Avenue onto Linda Avenue.

An outpouring of photos and stories — some heartwarming, others hilarious — soon followed a neighborhood Facebook group post announcing the news. By Monday afternoon, an impromptu memorial had sprung up outside Beach.

On the weekend he died, Sparkles’ human family shared a note with the neighborhood. “We know Sparkles had many fans; we saw people taking his photo almost every day as he laid about on cars and we often heard people calling his name,” they wrote. “He was a beloved, loving cat who was one of a kind and will be sorely missed.”

Leah E on May 21, 2022 at 9:04 am said:

Sparkles was the neighborhood mascot! I would always look forward to seeing him when I took my walks and he would come over to me for pets. You will always be remembered!

Susan M-D on May 18, 2022 at 8:25 am said:

we’ll miss this amazing cat – who would appear in the most unexpected spots around the neighborhood, always be game for a good scratch, and even be known to nuzzle with out dog from time to time. RIP Sparkles, the neighborhood won’t be the same without you!