Tomahawk Leader Office Cat passed away last week at age 15
By Sunnie Mercier and Kathy Tobin
Many of this newspaper’s readers will remember Typo, the Tomahawk Leader Office Cat.
He was a stray kitten who was rescued by Lennie Calhoun. She stopped at the Leader on her way to the Humane Society and asked if we would take him. Former Publisher Larry Tobin was “not a cat person,” but he was gone at the time and consensus was that the stray would be housed for the time being.
Needless to say, Larry was not thrilled when he returned, but he tolerated the kitten and, in time, grew to really like him. Thinking it was a female feline, Larry suggested the name Miss Print to recognize the newspaper connection. But a trip to the vet soon proved otherwise and he was dubbed Typo.
Typo lived at the Leader office and became the official greeter. He was quite the celebrity in Tomahawk and beyond. He even had his own newspaper column, although he wasn’t particularly interested in deadlines. Visitors regularly stopped in to bring him toys and treats. He was a favorite among children.
During his breaks from business, you would find him in his favorite hiding place, squished into a drawer in the composition room.
One time Larry and Leader columnist Mark Gaedtke set up a table outside in front of the office for a book signing for their literary creations. People came, but several seemed more interested in a chance to meet Typo.
Around the office, Typo was loved by all and had a lot of responsibilities. Along with being the office greeter, he assisted with general office work and picked the winners of tie-breakers in our annual football contest. Entries were placed on the floor and the one he laid on determined the winner.
In a business filled with deadlines, Typo was a great stress reducer. He would stretch out on your workspace, forcing you to take a break and pet him.
After the Leader was sold in May 2019, he eventually left his office home and lived with a former employee and cat lover, Ali. They ultimately moved to Pennsylvania. Last week, Ali let us know that Typo, age 15, had been quite ill. Thursday, June 8, Typo was relieved of his pain and left this world.
Rest in peace, Typo. It was great to have you as a co-worker.
He has left his paw prints on the hearts of his former Leader family and friends.
