Memorial

Jay Gatsby Burke-Hanson passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Friday, February 21st 2025, in Fridley, MN after battling bowel cancer. He was assisted in his passing by our caring vet, Dr. Louderback and in his final moments he was petted and loved on and whispered to by his mom, Adina, and his dad, Spencer. He is survived by his adoptive sisters Odessa the cat and Kahlo the dog. Whom both liked to pester and snuggle, as well as an oddily observant snake named Eden, and a wonderfully lazy axolotl named Creature, and, of course, his three humans that loved him very much. He is proceeded in death by his littermate and brother, Faust. Gatsby entered Adina’s life the way many things worth having tend to do, with chaos and a bit of serendipity. Gatsby was with Adina as she survived domestic abuse, and endured homelessness. He was with her when she got the keys to her first apartment. If he didn’t like a date-he pissed on their shoes and out the door they went. He warmed up to Spencer right away, and he didn’t laugh at her when she got engaged to Spencer while wearing a Muppet t-shirt. Prior to the arrival of their son, Art, and aside from Adina, Gatsby was the loudest presence in their home. Knocking over picture frames, destroying nice furniture and speed running in hallways with a drive and determination that rivaled that of a Marvel superhero. In fact, apartment neighbors thought Adina was stumbling back drunk from First Ave far too frequently, in order to discover that the true culprit was her cat. He took his role as a stubborn familiar very seriously. Always wanting to be the third wheel in any snuggling situation, and yet, content to just share space. Watching Adina pull out her own hair and drink far too much coffee just to survive poetry slam competitions and deal with the turmoil of manuscript rejection. He loved greeting others at the door, and if you weren’t a cat person before meeting Gatsby, you certainly were after meeting him. Spencer and Adina truly wish that they could bottle up the magic that was Jay and share it with others. He was a witness to growth, change, to fear and perseverance, and above all-to the radical act of choosing love every day. We hope he greets us at the door of another universe. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that you donate pet food to your local food bank and give to The Minnesota Alliance for Family & Animal Safety (MNAFAS) in his name.

Guestbook

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