HARDWICK – Floyd Aloysius Fleaflicker was born June 14, 2006, in Hyde Park, the son of Tiffany Fleaflicker. He was one of five children born to a stray single mother. From an early age, Floyd was always larger than the other cats, and he lived larger than life all of his 14 years. He passed away at home in the arms of his parents Clint and Theresa Howard on August 21.
He was a playful young lad and had a taste for really good catnip and Temptations. Being large from birth he would often sit on his brothers and sisters and win the fight every time. Floyd, at his largest, weighed 27 pounds.
As he got older, he decided that he wanted to help other cats. He lent his name to start a local fund to help spay and neuter poor cats and the Floyd Fleaflicker Fix ’Em Fund was born in 2013. He tirelessly worked to help any cat he could, raising over $26,000 and “fixing” over 250 cats through his fundraiser. He also provided hundreds and hundreds of pounds of food to help feed his friends in need.
Few people saw Floyd when he wasn’t dressed to the nines. The gentleman that he was, he attended affairs in a tie, a tuxedo and a king’s robe. He was also fond of bow ties. Nobody wore a Harley Davidson hat and bandanna like Mr. Fleaflicker. He won two photo contests and appeared on the front page of the Times Argus summer animal supplement, appeared in several issues of the Hardwick Gazette, appeared in two calendars and on pins and magnets. His 2020 calendar, Floyd Fleaflicker: “Cat about town” really personified the gentle spirit and the lengths that this cat would go to help the less fortunate.
Floyd leaves behind his heartbroken parents, Clint and Theresa Howard of Hardwick, his brother Shawn Bishop (Crystal) of Fairfax and two nephews, Shawn Tyler and Benjamin . He leaves his “daughter” Kristin Swahn and his two “granddaughters” Lillian and Aurora. He leaves behind his brothers and sisters of the whiskers: Char-Cole, Walter, Lydia, Carl, Harvey, Hank, Lucy, Scout and Nigel. He also leaves several girlfriends, his favorite bartender Aprille Morrison and a very special uncle and aunt: Art and Kathy Ross of Barton, his favorite babysitters, Ronda and Noelle Ditzler, numerous cousins and countless friends.
At 2 p.m., on September 13, a small animal park adjacent to the Hardwick Veterinary Clinic will be dedicated to Floyd Fleaflicker. All are welcome to attend and please exercise social distancing. There will be a drive-by event at the American Legion in Hardwick at 2:15 p.m., on September 13 for those not wanting to congregate, and a small gathering 15 minutes later inside at the Legion to say farewell to such an enormous local personality. Lynne Atwood will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donation be made to the Hardwick Veterinary Clinic PO Box 760 Hardwick, Vermont 05843 Please put FLOYD in the memo box. In keeping with Floyd’s quest, please have your pets spayed or neutered.
