I remember meeting him back in the 90's, when I was a regular at Lee Haney's Animal Kingdom. If I remember correctly he spotted me once on the bench press, and yelled at me to give him one more rep. I was a bit intimidated...but I most certainly gave him that rep. Despite the intimidating look, I remember him being a very friendly and engaging cat. May he rest in peace.
Another article I saw said that he apparently beat COVID earlier, but was still displaying symptoms like shortness of breath. He went missing for a few days and they found him after a welfare check.
I have a friend who passed...same story. I pains me to think of someone dying alone. Truly sad. It is very important to stay in touch with each other during these times.