Esther's Memorial

PACT mourns the loss of Esther Pizarro, our Feline Intake Manager
December 21, 1948 - December 31, 2007

Esther started volunteering for PACT Humane Society on February 13, 2004 with her best friend of 35 years, Judy Lazarus. At first, they both came in to the Woodfield Petsmart adoption center to do laundry and Daily Cat Care. "I thought I'd be doing PACT a favor by helping out," Esther later recalled. "Instead, I got more in return than I ever dreamed possible."

PACT's directors quickly recognized huge untapped potential in Esther. Esther threw her heart and soul into PACT and the cats, and was soon a pillar of our organization. As Feline Intake Manager for nearly two years, Esther has been responsible for the intake of nearly 1,000 cats -- most of these cats would have been euthanized without her and PACT. Before PACT became the only shelter to rescue cats from several northwest suburbs including Schaumburg, Esther forged a relationship with Aurora Animal Control and Fox Valley Animal Welfare League, saving hundreds of cats that would have certainly been put down.

On her weekends off, between grocery shopping and personal errands, Esther was often picking up cats from municipal shelters and bringing them in to our adoption centers. When she wasn't busy doing intakes, Esther and Judy would drive to all three PACT adoption centers to photograph cats for our Internet listings, which Judy had since taken on. Esther also fostered many cats, including her last two, "Chunky Monkey" (since adopted) and "Smudge". Esther never stopped finding ways to help her cause. A fabulous cook and baker, Esther sold her baked goods at work to raise funds for PACT. When Esther's mother died in August 2006, she made a donation to PACT in her mother's memory.

Click on photo for an enlargement

Esther was an enormous part of PACT, not just because of her work as Intake Manager but because her warmth and humor brought out the best in all of us. It made Esther the person volunteers would seek out because she inspired trust and confidence -- she was everyone's friend. She was fun and willing to try new things, such as recovering cats from surgery at PACT Spay Days [click on middle photo above to see Esther's secret for keeping kittens warm on Spay Days]. Esther was always good for a laugh. At our Management Team Retreat in January, we always play a game in which each person has to tell things about herself that the others didn't know. "I don't shave my legs anymore," Esther proclaimed proudly to howls of laughter and comparisons of the leg-shaving habits of the other volunteers. And no matter the time, day or night, Esther was always available for a friend in need.

Monday July 30, 2007 started out like a normal day for Esther. She woke up early, fed and gave medications to her foster kitty Smudge, and then sat down because she "didn't feel quite right." Later that day, she was admitted to the hospital. The following day, Esther was diagnosed with Grade 3 malignant brain cancer (anaplastic astrocytoma). She had three tumors, two of which were inoperable due to location. Her doctors gave her a life expectancy of 6-18 months.

Despite radiation treatment and surgery to remove part of the operable tumor, her cancer quickly spread. It was very aggressive, quickly degrading Esther's ability to care for herself, but she held onto Smudge and her own cats Cleo and Puddin' until she was forced to let them go.

Esther's PACT family was at her side until we were no longer able, when Esther moved in with her sister for her final days. She passed away exactly 5 months and 1 day after her diagnosis.

Esther remained remarkably brave throughout this entire process. We are comforted in the knowledge that she was at peace with her life and with her maker. In her final weeks, she often repeated to us, "At PACT, I found my life's true calling and made some incredible friends along the way."