This is Susie Lee, wife, friend, partner to Wesley Hurley who was a staunch friend to all animals and very much especially ferrets. Wesley has died of a sudden stroke in our home while his main hospice-care nurse was right beside us both. He would have been 76 if he could have made it to his next birthday on Nov. 19th. We were planning to completely close down The Ferret & Dove Sanctuary by this December because of his ill health from the debilitating effects of advancing asbestosis, which was exacerbated by his first stroke (you can see the thick heavy scar on his neck from the carotid artery operation to remove a large clot there, last November) back in late November, 2009. He thought he had at least another year. His doctor told me he might make it to this Christmas,...maybe. I suppose all the ferrets who've "gone ahead" were calling out to him from the 'Bridge. You can't see it from the pics but around his bed he had photos of all his favorite ferrets from down through the last 12 years where he could see them each and all. I've posted the last picture of Wesley alive that was taken on November 10th, 2010 while he was at rest in bed. Now he's at the Rainbow bridge greeting all the ferrets personally whom he kept alive the memories of ...where he could still see them and remember all their names. The body he left behind will be, according to his own wishes, cremated and the ashes interred at the cemetery on base near the Naval Air Station in Pensacola becuase besides putting in 33 years as a merchant Marine, he also served 8 years in the Navy, 1951 thru 1959. My daughter is coming over to help me pack up and give away his stuff to the Goodwill, he was always looking for any more things to give Goodwill, so I figure to make him happy about that "up there" where he is, now. The pic of Wes is here... http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html [Posted in FML 6850]