Stubbs the cat passed away in the overnight hours between Thursday and Friday, according to his owners.
For nearly two decades, Stubbs, so named due to his lack of a tail, was a regular sight for locals and visitors at Nagley’s General Store and the West Rib Pub and Grill. In that time, he went from being a store cat to receiving the title of “Mayor Stubbs.” Talkeetna is unincorporated and has no mayor, but the title stuck, and news of the feline mayor has made international news on multiple occasions.
In a press release, the Spone family, Stubbs’ owners at the time of his passing, said that when they purchased Nagley’s and the West Rib in 2015, they would be asked about a hundred times per day where the mayor was. In those days, Stubbs would still frequent both businesses.
As time wore on, and Stubbs approached his second decade of life, the Spones said that he slowed down and would not visit the store as often. Last summer, the family brought home two kittens, including Stubbs’ eventual successor as store cat and “mayor,” Denali.
According to the family, Stubbs passed in his sleep sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning. They asked that those wishing to share condolences on Stubbs’ passing not call the store or restaurant. They plan to put together a memory book of letters and cards that are sent to the store.
The mailing address is:
Mayor Stubbs/Nagley’s Store
PO Box 413
Talkeetna, AK 99676
