Remembering Lesley Willis: A Farewell to Our Cherished Colleague and Buddy


It’s with deep disappointment that we proportion the inside track of the passing of our cherished Lesley. Her unexpected admission to the health center and the next headaches got here as a surprise to all folks. Regardless of the most efficient efforts, Lesley’s diagnosis for restoration was once no longer beneficial, and she or he peacefully passed on to the great beyond on Saturday, June twenty third.

Lesley’s presence inside the TEARS Circle of relatives spanned just about 25 years, leaving an indelible mark on our organisation. She began as a devoted volunteer within the early days of TEARS’ lifestyles. Then, when TEARS was once registered as a Non-Benefit Corporate in 2001, Lesley was one in all our first Administrators and held this place, for some time, till she expressed the need to paintings without delay with the animals, specifically our canines and doggies. In 2002 we relocated our Kennels from Schaapkraal, close to Philippi, to our provide rented facility in Lekkerwater Street, Sunnydale, and it was once right here that Lesley put her center and soul into the organisation, dedicating her time to our Refuge canines and doggies. All over this era she served as Kennel Supervisor in addition to Pet Supervisor, the place she excelled as a nurturing mom to our rescued canine, operating intently with our devoted personnel and trustworthy volunteers, to give you the perfect maintain them.

A troublesome-working and dedicated particular person, with a center of gold, Lesley served in more than a few positions at TEARS, additionally serving to out in our workplace and sanatorium, in addition to aiding with coaching canines and doggies. By some means, she discovered the time to do domestic visits for us too, sooner than a canine or pet was once followed into their ceaselessly domestic. As well as, she ran a grooming parlour from the TEARS premises, reworking grimy, disheveled, raveled rescued mutts into stunning pooches. She had a normal clientele who would carry their pampered pets to her for grooming, and we had been all the time amazed at how stunning they seemed, after they had visited “Aunty Lesley”.

All the way through her adventure as a part of the TEARS Circle of relatives, Lesley was once a loyal foster mom to masses of TEARS doggies and canines and opened her domestic to maintain compromised souls who wanted particular gentle loving care. Lesley was once additionally our go-to particular person for orphaned doggies and every now and then kittens too and was once a very good bottle-feeder for such a lot of who should not have survived, had been it no longer for her empathy, worrying, and experience. She additionally discovered the time and effort to maintain small canines when their house owners had been away, offering a home-from-home atmosphere for them.

Even though Lesley formally retired from TEARS 3 years in the past, she persisted to foster animals and remained an integral a part of our prolonged circle of relatives, popping into our Refuge in Lekkerwater Street to mention hi and possibly carry a canine or pet that wanted veterinary consideration. 

A gorgeous gentle has been extinguished and even supposing we can by no means see our precious Lesley once more, her reminiscence will live to tell the tale in our hearts as we keep in mind her fantastic contribution in taking care of canines and doggies, and every now and then kittens too. Her determination and compassion had been unwavering, and her presence will probably be sorely ignored.

We prolong our private condolences to Lesley’s son Rob, daughter-in-law Heather, grandsons Shane and Dillon, and different members of the family. Our ideas are with you all over this hard time, and we are hoping that the liked reminiscences you grasp expensive carry you convenience. Might you in finding solace and power as you navigate via this profound loss.

In loving reminiscence of Lesley, would possibly she leisure in peace. Her spirit will ceaselessly are living inside the essence of TEARS, guiding us ahead together with her strange legacy.



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