Members of the furry fandom have had the tails of their fursuits firmly planted between their legs this week, mourning the loss of one of the movement's founding figures, Mark Merlino.


“We regret to report that as of 2 AM on February 20th, 2024, Mark Merlino (aka Sylys Sable), one of the founding fathers of the Furry Fandom, had passed away,” Furry podcast The Raccoon’s Den wrote on social media, noting his death came “after news of his diagnosis for Stage IV liver cancer.”


“Our community wouldn't exist without him,” the post concluded. “We owe a lot to Mark for his impact on this community.”



Now, for those of us with our paws squarely outside of the furry fandom, Merlino, who was reportedly 70 at the time of his passing, per WikiFur, was evidently a big fluffing deal. Better known by the moniker of Sylys Sable he played an integral role in the furry community, organizing both the first parties and later the first conventions alongside his partner, Rodney O’Reilly.



As news of his passing spread throughout furry circles on social media, several fans flocked — or should we say furred — to Twitter and Reddit to pay their respects to their beloved community leader.


“Rest in peace Sy Sable, you helped create an incredible space for all of us to enjoy and now you can on the other side while we carry the torch,” wrote Redditor u/anubis418 on an r/Furry post dedicated to Merlino’s legacy.  “Whatever afterlife there is there is a special place for people like you.”


“Thank you Sy, thank you so much,” added u/tawmcruuze. “Thank you for carving out this space. Your contributions are priceless, I would be absolutely nothing without this fandom. This crowd took me in when nobody else would and for that I am eternally grateful.”


Beyond shaping one of the internet’s most tight-knit communities, several others spoke of Merlino’s character, including u/ArchDukeNemesis who says they met both Merlino and O’Reily at Midwest FurFest.


“Sweet dudes. Both even talked that they wouldn't be around forever, and the possibility of turning their home into an official museum to preserve what they started,” they recalled of their “prophetic” chat with the iconic pair.



“I can't imagine what Rod is going through,” they continued. “Those two were so close. My condolences to Rod and Mark's family. Those two made an impact in more lives than they could imagine.”


Though it’s unclear whether they have fursuits in heaven, we can only hope there was a closet full waiting for Merlino upon his arrival.