Dr. Harold "Catman" Walter Sims Jr.

 Dr. Harold “Catman” Walter Sims Jr. passed away on November 17, 2024 at age 89. He was born on April 8, 1935 in Mount Vernon, NY and his early years were spent working on dairy farms and being involved in the 4-H Club. When he left home at age 18, he had the clothes on his back and $35 in his pocket; he then proceeded to carve out an extraordinary life for himself in which he made the world a better place. In 1954, he enrolled in the U.S. Navy for three years, allowing him to later enroll in college using the GI Bill. He went on to earn his Doctorate of Education. His 30-year career included a move to Florida where he worked for the State of Florida Department of Natural Resources, the Hillsboro County Board of Health, and St. Petersburg Junior College, where he taught biology and ecology for 22 years. He was involved in environmental non-profit organizations, including the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club.  

After volunteering at an animal shelter during the gap between his and his wife's retirement, he discovered a deep love for cats and compassion for their plight. This chance encounter catapulted him into his post-retirement career as The Catman. He founded and built the first “no-kill” shelter in Jackson County; first out of a small storage shed in his home in Glenville, and then along with his retired contractor friend Jack Nowlin, he began building the official Catman2 Shelter in Cullowhee. The shelter opened its doors in 2002 and has been a unique, cage-free safe-for-life sanctuary for needy cats.   

After collecting cat art and memorabilia for over 30 years, Harold set out to create The American Museum of the House Cat. In 2017, the museum was opened within a wing of the Old School Antique Mall. It was overwhelmingly popular and needed its own permanent home, so Harold once again used his savings to build a 4,000 sq. ft. museum filled with over 10,000 treasures from his vast collection. His biggest wish was to expand the museum and for more people to see and support his mission to inspire, entertain, and educate cat lovers around the world.  

Never one to follow the crowd, Harold was a free thinker and accepted people from all walks of life and those who were different from himself. He was a strong supporter of civil and human rights and created an anti-hate campaign through his cat museum called “Mother Cats No Matter Where They Mate, Never Teach Their Kittens to Hate” which aimed to teach people to be kind and not discriminate against others. He also wrote several books, including a children's series with anti-bullying themes. 

 He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 60 years, Kay who passed away in February 2021. He is survived by his three cherished cats: a chatty tortoiseshell named Tortie, a funny Ragdoll fellow named Eskimo, and his special girl Clarissa.   Harold leaves behind several special friends: Manny, Courtney, Sebastian, Dooler, Randall, Sophie, and Kimberly. 

He is also survived by his long-time friend, employee, and caregiver Kaleb Lynch, to whom he passed the Catman torch and has entrusted to carry on his legacy of helping cats.   His friends would like to thank the caring staff at Skyland Care Center for their kindness and for extending their genuine love for their residents to Harold during his brief stay with them.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his memory to the two organizations Harold founded and held dear, and have made our community a better place: The American Museum of the House Cat – wnccatmuseum.org and the Catman2 Shelter – catman2.org – PO Box 2344 Cullowhee, NC 28723