Tommy the Cat might just have been the most popular feline in Northwest Philadelphia. The longtime resident cat at the Wissahickon Environmental Center in the Andorra section of Fairmount Park belied the notion of cats as aloof and standoffish. Tommy was as friendly as a tail-wagging dog to countless visitors and staff members for nearly 20 years.

“We visited him often over the years, as did so many others,” said Bridget Irons, Chestnut Hill’s quintessential animal lover and animal rights activist. “The personality trait which most endeared us to him was his sociability. Time spent with Tommy had special meaning in our lives. One person spoke of a special connection, calling Tommy a ‘special soul.’ He had quite a large fan base.”

Sadly, Tommy the Cat died on July 13 of this year, leaving his legion of fans bereft. But they (and others) can still appreciate Tommy’s spirit by viewing “Remembering Tommy & Other Wissahickon Wonders,” an exhibit of paintings by Chestnut Hill artist Dan Ravasio currently on display at Spring Mill Pointe, 2002 Joshua Rd. in Lafayette Hill, daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of November.

“I wanted to celebrate the legacy of Tommy the Cat,” Ravasio told the Local last week. “He was abandoned at the Wissahickon Environmental Center 15 or 16 years ago. Since that time, he has primarily lived outdoors in the immediate vicinity of the center. My wife and son and I became acquainted with Tommy six years ago while hiking. We became one of the group of four or so people and staff members who took care of Tommy, feeding him and making sure he saw the vet regularly. My son Kevin is an ultramarathoner who trains extensively in the park, and Tommy visits were an integral part of all his training runs. Tommy became a legend in his own time.”

The exhibit features many depictions of Tommy as well as posts from his fans in a remembrance binder. “The exhibit had a profound effect on me and my husband, Charlie,” Irons said. “We miss Tommy, but he will live forever in the hearts of so many people who loved him.”

Unlike so many artists who began drawing or painting as children, Ravasio, 74, began painting at the age of 67. “I credit my wife, Yulan, a talented artist herself in many media, with encouraging and supporting me in the beginning to start painting,” he said. “I am self-taught and, as I like to say, I paint by the seat of my pants.”

Ravasio grew up in Monongahela, a small coal mining and steel town (population about 4,000) 17 miles south of Pittsburgh. It was not a town that nurtured artistic instincts in a young boy. Ravasio told the Local in an earlier interview that after working on some small artifact and showing it to his grandmother, she would say, “Danny, that’s really beautiful, but don’t let your daddy see it.”

Ravasio earned a degree in psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. He did take some sculpting classes, but like so many young people who are urged to enter a field that’s more “practical” and leads to a weekly paycheck, he earned a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling at Penn State University.

After graduation in 1975, Ravasio took a job in Doylestown with what is now BARC Developmental Services, a group that works with people with intellectual disabilities and autism. He worked for BARC for 28 years, followed by 17 years at The ARC of Camden County, an organization similar to BARC.

In 2020, Ravasio quit his day job and, encouraged by his now-wife (then-partner), has been devoting all of his talent and energy to producing art.

“I’ve never had an art lesson and quite frankly started out painting portraits as a form of therapy to develop humility,” he said. “Since then, I have painted over 200 portraits of various people I know and many strangers I met along the way. I started my ‘5x7 Project,’ a series of 5x7 acrylic portraits, and to date I have over 140 of them done. From portraits I moved onto painting landscapes, again with my untrained style.”

“The best advice I ever received,” he added, “is ‘Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t be concerned with what other people think.’ And the hardest thing I ever had to do was to recover physically and mentally from a near-fatal heart attack at the age of 49.”

Living near Chestnut Hill College and Wissahickon Valley Park, Ravasio walks in the Wissahickon at least four or five days per week, sometimes more.

“Walking around the woods in silence and allowing myself to be open to what I am surrounded by is fulfilling,” he said. “I try to nurture my ability to be filled with wonder and awe by all that is there.”

Paul Mercurio contributed to this article. For more information, visit danravart.blogspot.com or wissahickonwonders.blogspot.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.