It was with sadness that we learned of the death of John Blythe on the 16th October, 2018. John was a great supporter of the World Cat Congress from 1995 when he accompanied his then wife, the ACF delegate Lesley Morgan, to the annual meeting until 2005 when he retired as the WCC President.
During those early years John had seen the need to establish the Congress on a more formal basis and had been instrumental in firstly creating a Charter, and then following that with a formal constitution.
John had been a president of the Australian Cat Federation Inc. and when Alva Uddin retired as President of the Congress in 2003, he was elected as its President, which was a role he played with enthusiasm and foresight for the next two years.
Perhaps his greatest achievement for the Congress was his belief that it needed some form of sponsorship or backing in order to continue with the annual meetings and seminars. In pursuit of this aim, he took advantage of a trip to Europe to visit Royal Canin in the south of France where he was able to secure a sponsorship agreement. The relationship with Royal Canin has developed into a partnership where, with their support and financial contribution, we have have been able to contribute to their aims through our annual seminar and, most recently, in collaborating with them in the production of their new Cat Encyclopaedia.
We understand that John had been unwell for some time and that his end was peaceful, with his three sons able to be with him. Our sympathies go out to his family on their loss.
We remember with gratitude a humorous, kind man whose vision did so much to ensure the existence and future of the World Cat Congress.
On behalf of the World Cat Congress
Penny Bydlinski, Secretary
