Woman Needs To Rehome Cat After Tragic Loss: 'It's Breaking My Heart'

WADING RIVER, NY — A woman devastated by the unexpected and sudden loss of her beloved husband is now desperately trying to rehome her cat.

William Scheibel, 69, of Wading River died in a horrific wrong-way crash on the Taconic State Parkway on October 15. A life member of the Wading River Fire Department, he was deeply loved by the many whose lives he touched, his wife Linda told Patch.

Now, cloaked in grief, Linda is alone, navigating her life without him — and she needs help to relocate the couple's cat, Autumn.

Autumn, she said, was a stray who "chose" her and her husband as her new family. "We had in her inside for several years, but she wasn’t happy with our two other cats," Linda wrote on Facebook.

Still struggling with grief and the logistics of selling her home for a permanent move to Florida, where she and Bill planned to retire, Linda took to social media this week to find Autumn a new, forever home.

Many reached out to help: Teddy Henn of Long Island Lost Dog Search & Rescue is scheduled to help trap Autumn — who has been hiding under the front porch, where there is an automatic feeder — and next, a new home must be found.

Most important, Linda said, is that whoever takes Autumn keep her inside for a few weeks, so she won't try to find her way back to Wading River.

Letting Autumn find a new family isn't easy, she said. "This is breaking my heart," she said. "This has been a miserable journey. It's so hard, especially without Bill by my side."

Linda has promised to pay for all food and care for Autumn's lifetime.

Speaking with Patch, Linda described what the loss of her husband has meant. "It's a nightmare," she said.

But despite the pain, she's determined to find a happy next chapter for Autumn, the cat she and her husband both loved so much.

Autumn, she said, was "likely dumped"; she was was spayed and her ear was tipped.

"Named for the fall leaves, Autumn is a beautiful cat," she said; she loved to cuddle up with Linda.

But, she said, Autumn also loved to explore outside; it was difficult to keep her in — that's why her new owner must be dedicated to keeping her inside, so that she doesn't get lost or try to find her way back to Wading River.

Remembering the day that she lost her husband, Linda said it was a bright, sunny Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. They were driving back from visiting dear friends — when suddenly, she and her husband were hit head-on, and everything changed forever.

She remembers that their dog, who was in the car, was found under the vehicle. She was on the stretcher, asking,"Where's my husband?" she said.

Her voice filled with tears, Linda said: "My husband was a wonderful man. I met him at 15. He was going to retire; we were going to travel. I grieve for his life, the life that he didn't get to finish. He worked so hard."

Bill, she said, was "a good person. He loved amateur radio. During snowstorms, he'd go to the shelter to help, while I made meatball heroes for the workers."

Sobbing, she said, "This is so hard for me."

But there have been shining moments, even in the darkness, Linda said. "There has been divine intervention. Even though it's been a struggle, so many people have come to help me with things. I think, 'What would I have done, if they didn't help?' Because I'm by myself."

At her husband's wake in Wading River, hundreds turned out to pay their respects to a man who touched countless lives. He had owned a two-way radio business and lived for many years in Islip.

"He was just everywhere," his wife said. "So many people just loved him."

The Wading River Fire Department carried her husband to his funeral on the back of the antique fire truck that he had worked on with such care. Suffolk County fire officials led a motorcade.

"Everyone just went above and beyond to give him a great sendoff," she said.

But now, Linda is left with the pain that fills her heart. "This chapter is just so painful," she said.

And all she wants is to make sure Autumn is cared for. "If I can just find her a good, caring place, I feel she will be okay," Linda said.

Anyone interested in helping can contact Linda Sheibel at auntlinny132@yahoo.com