Story
On the 8th December 2020, Rebecca Batey suddenly passed away from a pulmonary embolism. Her passing was a complete surprise to her family. Out of four siblings, Rebecca was the athletic one, the healthy one. The one who would go far in life. Her life was tragically cut short and it has left all of her family heart broken and devastated.
Everyone in Rebecca's family would like to keep Rebecca's funeral private. I hope you can respect my family's wishes in wanting to keep the ceremony to family and close friends only. Rebecca was a reserved and private person and it's what she would have wanted.
I have made this Just Giving page as a place for those who knew Rebecca outside of her family circle to leave any messages and donations in her memory. Thank you for visiting the page.
Rebecca was a sister, daughter, aunty and friend to many. She was beloved. Despite having many friends and family, the light and focus of Rebecca's life was her cat Alani. They did everything together. He was such a huge part of Rebecca's life. The first thing Rebecca would do whenever she came home from work or university was find Alani and give him a big kiss and cuddle. They were best friends.
Rebecca loved cats. She loved most animals, but cats were always her favourite, since she was a little girl. Rebecca was very creative and would paint and draw all sorts of pictures. A cat would always be found somewhere within her work.
Rebecca was very open about her plans for the future. She was due to finish her degree in History this academic year. She was writing up her research proposal just days before she died. She was so excited to start working full time once graduated and she was already starting to save up. She wanted to buy a house. She was very open about her plans for the house. She wanted a space she could use to adopt and rescue as many cats as possible. She had so much love and care to give and she wanted to share it with as many cats as possible.
To continue Rebecca's wishes, I have set up this Just Giving in her memory. Through your donations, Rebecca's wish can be fulfilled. She can still go on to rescue as many cats as possible. Your donations will go to Yorkshire Cat Rescue, a charity local to Rebecca's home.
Rebecca liked to give, she liked to help. She'd have considered hundreds of people coming to her funeral and leaving flowers a waste of time and money. She would want them to do something charitable. Something she considered worthwhile. If you wanted to pay your respects to Rebecca, this is the way to do it, by donating to a charity that believes in everything she did.
I'm Rebecca's older sister. As with all siblings, we had our fights and arguments. Despite all the arguing, I could never say my love for Rebecca ever stopped. She was my best friend, my partner in crime. She was always encouraging. If you were ever nervous or scared to do something, Rebecca had your back. This is my chance to have Rebecca's back and make sure she is remembered for the kind, loving and caring person she was. If anyone has a memory of Rebecca or a message they would like including in her funeral, please post it here along with a donation to charity and I will make sure it is included in her funeral service.
I'm not sure what I believe in. If there's an afterlife, Rebecca is looking down on anyone donating to this charity, happy that her love of cats is continuing. If instead all souls are reincarnated, Rebecca is a cat somewhere, knocking a glass off a counter for the sake of it.
I love you Rebecca. Rest in peace you beautiful, beautiful soul.
In memory of Rebecca Batey. 1998 - 2020 <3