‘Beloved friend’: Longtime Spokane Valley resident and cat lover leaves large sum to SCRAPS

The late Carol Frances See had a fondness for feline companions that rivaled any, said her friend Diana Wilhite.

“She pretty much became a recluse,” Wilhite said. “But she loved her cats.”

Wilhite, the former mayor of Spokane Valley, befriended See in the latter years of her life. Without many friends or any family in the area, Wilhite would assist See with errands and finances, and provide some companionship, she said.

See, a longtime Valley resident, kept cats most of her life. When death would end her time with one, she would have the pet cremated and store the remains in a treasured place. She’d then visit the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service to give another deserving feline friend a comfortable home.

“I was only there for the last cat, but she told me, and showed me little boxes that were set up, and she said, ‘These are the ashes for my cats, and when I die, I want you to bury them with me,” Wilhite said.

See, 73, died Jan. 28, and keeping to her word, Wilhite laid the remains of her three cats to rest alongside her. The four of them are now in the Colfax Cemetery, not far from the gravesite of See’s parents.

On Tuesday, See made one last show of support for shelter animals by bequeathing $126,900 to SCRAPS as part of her last will and testament. Included with the donation was a 16-by-13-inch framed needlepoint of a cat See completed that will hang next to a plaque commemorating the gift in the SCRAPS facility for years to come.

“Carol F. See,” the plaque reads. “Beloved friend, whose heart and home overflowed with love for every cat she touched.”

Wilhite, who ensured the transfer of funds, said it was a pleasure to see the commitment through. She took on much of See’s caretaking needs over the last year at See’s request after her concern about her health due to a congestive heart condition deepened in recent years.

“She would be delighted to know that her memory, and her love for cats, will be commemorated at the headquarters for SCRAPS,” Wilhite said.

Nick Hobbs Doyle, shelter operations manager for SCRAPS, said any gift to the organization is appreciated, but one of this size goes a long way. Both he and Wilhite hope See’s donation sets an example for others to support the organization, its cause and the individuals there “doing amazing things,” he said.

“I mean, running a building in an organization of our size, it takes dollars and cents,” Hobbs Doyle said.

Wilhite only knew See in recent years, but she shared what she learned of her late friend in the time since a mutual associate first introduced them.

See was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany as a clerk typist before stepping away in 1977 and moving to her mother’s home in Spokane Valley. It’s the same home where Wilhite would visit See, as See grew more weary of leaving the property toward the end of her life.

“She didn’t have any family,” Wilhite recalled. “I just felt like she needed to have somebody to come talk to her and listen to how things were going and what was going on in life. All of that.”

Not long ago, a pair of Mormon missionaries stopped by the house and made a lasting impression on See. Wilhite said she was surprised to hear from See one day about meeting “two sweet young men,” as she was not one to open the door and welcome others in.

“She and I talked about it, and I said, ‘If you think this is something you’d like to do, you know, that’s great,’ ” Wilhite recalled. “So she became a member of their church, which was nice, because the church was very helpful. There were a couple occasions when something needed to be done with Carol, and I couldn’t do it.”

In addition to a love for cats and needlepoint, See had a bit of sweet tooth. However, there’s no relation to the family behind staple confectionery company See’s Candies, Wilhite said.

“I would say to her, ‘OK, if you’re going to eat candy, you have to promise me that you’ll walk the perimeter of the house at least twice a day,’” Wilhite said. “I wanted to make sure she got some exercise, so I would fuss at her.”

Wilhite shared that in addition to leaving a large sum to SCRAPS, See dedicated portions of her estate to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Looking back, Wilhite said she was grateful for the opportunity to support See, through her final years and even after death.

“She was such a fun lady to get to know,” Wilhite said. “She cracked me up. It was just nice.”