On Thursday, August 17, 2023, Samuel Edmund Coffey passed peacefully, surrounded by people who loved him. During his 80-year journey on Mother Earth, he experienced so much and gave so much more than he ever received. Edmund was a treasure! He never met a stranger, and was always ready to talk with people about things he was passionate about. He was a selfless man, always putting others first. One of the hardest things for him to do was to ask anyone for help with anything. He had a heart of gold, and if he cared for you, he would give anything he had to help you. Edmund leaves behind many people who will miss him, but who will cherish memories of their time with him. Edmund lost his best buddy, Ila Owasin, a handsome wolf dog, in November of 2021, and we are sure that reunion was a happy one.
A small, private gathering was held to honor Edmund’s life and his passing. Other public Celebrations of Edmund’s Life will be held in the coming months, and some will be at animal rescue events with Bedford Humane Society, Friends of Bedford County Animal Shelter and All-American Mutt Rescue.
Edmund wrote once that ‘There is one Creator and everything that is living in the Universe is our relative.’ His personal mission as he traveled through this life was to be a good steward of all things in Nature, and to encourage as many people as he could to join that mission. He was passionate about cleaning up the messes we make on the Earth, recycling everything possible, keeping our lives (including diets, medications, farming methods, etc) as ‘natural’ as possible.
“Edmund became a huge part of my life as soon as I met him in 2011. I realized he was the Elder I sought. He had astounding knowledge on every topic. He had endless, selfless love to shower my family with. For years, my kids have received the famous green ink letters in handmade envelopes with 40-plus 1-cent stamps, sometimes shy of the current postage. Always stuffed with stickers and cutouts with each kid in mind. Then there were the letters to me alone, sharing of the demise of humans on our Mother Earth and what we must do to heal. We spoke often of the caretaking nature of the American Indians. We practiced Traditional Lakota ceremonies together, all in seeking humility and healing for our tribe, The Children of the Earth. We talked of the way they planned ahead for seven generations, by not taking more than was needed from Nature to survive. Edmund became the Chief of my tribe. Chief Caretaker. Chief of Counsel. Chief Edmund Green Heart. I do miss him but I know he is working for the critters and the Earth from the other side now, more powerful than ever. He will continue to guide us on our life journey. Ask, Listen. We love you Edmund, and I'll go hug my kiddos for you right now! Howl on Canis Lupis Gris the Elder!”
Written by Ben Coleman, Mountain Run Farm, Sedalia, VA
Edmund believed that all living creatures on Earth have souls and purpose. He had a special fondness for companion animals, canines and felines, which led him on a lifelong mission of rescuing and providing compassionate care for dogs and cats in need.
Until the early 1990’s, Bedford County, where Edmund lived, had no rescue groups to advocate for the homeless animals. The only place for them to be taken to was a public shelter/pound which held them for a specified time to give owners a chance to come get them. If no one came, the animals were euthanized according to the laws of the Commonwealth of VA. At that time, no effort was made to find new homes for any of the animals. Edmund and his dear friend, Nancy Johnson, decided they wanted to rally the community to do more for these animals, and they were the co-founders of the Bedford Humane Society, a non-profit organization that continues their work today. BHS was truly one of Edmund’s proudest accomplishments.
Bedford Humane Society was incorporated in November, 1993, and received their IRS 501c3 non-profit status in December, 1994. Edmund and Nancy wanted the organization to grow with members and volunteers. In the early days, they worked closely with the county shelter to try to improve conditions the animals were kept in, even to the point of helping clean the kennels and feed and water the pets being held. The initial goals of BHS were simple, yet powerful. They wanted to educate the public on animal welfare and the prevention of cruelty to animals. Educating the public on the need for spaying and neutering their pets to prevent pet overpopulation was a priority. They wanted to start a spay/neuter fund, with donations from the community, to give financial help to residents who could not afford the costs of the surgeries. Both Edmund and Nancy understood the benefits of having pets in our lives and wanted to start a program providing pet therapy for residents of local nursing homes. Working with the shelter to place unwanted animals into loving homes was another goal. Today the Bedford Humane Society continues to honor the original missions while expanding their programs to include plans to build a no-kill shelter in Bedford County. Edmund continued to proudly support his beloved organization until the end of his life.
Pat Greier, a BHS member says, “As long as I can remember Edmund showed up at many of our events with a smiling face happy to see all those that were involved in animal rescue. I loved to hear his stories and he loved to show Wolfe off. When Wolfe was gone he still came and showed the photos of his dearly loved pet which he kept close to his heart. He will always be remembered.”
Dee Finch, a long-time BHS volunteer says, “My most fervent memory of Edmund is running into him in the Food Lion parking lot. He had a new dog and was so excited to introduce us. That, for me, sums him up. He adored his dogs! They were his family.”
Janet Linger, a BHS volunteer says, “His animals and animal rescue were his passion and he cared more for them than he did for his own life or comfort. He will be so missed!”
In 2008, a second pet rescue organization, All-American Mutt Rescue, was founded in Bedford County by Danny and Cindy Torrence. AAMR was incorporated in January, 2008 and received their IRS 501c3 non-profit status in August, 2008. With many of the same goals as BHS, AAMR is an all-volunteer, foster-based organization with the primary goal of rescuing and rehoming animals in need. AAMR committed to pull animals from area shelters and to accept pets directly from owners (thus keeping them out of the shelters) when foster homes were available. Edmund learned about All-American Mutt Rescue from talking to the shelter staff, and Cindy’s first encounter with Edmund was at the Bedford County Animal Shelter when she was there to pick up a dog going to AAMR. Cindy knew that Edmund and his friend, Nancy Johnson, were the trailblazers for animal rescue in Bedford County and was honored to talk rescue with him! Through the years Edmund went out of his way to support AAMR. He would call regularly with words of wisdom and encouragement and come to as many AAMR events as he could. Danny and Edmund became fast friends through the years, and he will be greatly missed.
Ashley Rafferty, an AAMR volunteer says, “With sage on an open window sill, he slipped out and left us, to reunite with his Wolf. I am so thankful to have known Edmund and to have received his wisdom and inspiration. His love and respect for Mother Earth and all her creatures is truly admired. His legacy will live on forever in the name of many local animal rescue organizations he helped. If you are reading this, please pick up one piece of plastic that you find on the ground today in Edmund’s honor. May you rest in peace friend, next to Ila Owasin, protected by the Buddha.”
Keitha Robinson, an AAMR volunteer says, “This is the kindest man I have ever met. His love for animals goes way deeper than anyone could imagine. I am fortunate to know Mr. Coffey. If everyone loved animals like he does, there would be no such thing as animal shelters.”
Linda Zimmerman, an AAMR volunteer says, “I can see Mr. Coffey coming to your (AAMR) events at our store in his knee-high boots with his wolf dog.”
Barbe Shackelford with Friends of Animal Control (Campbell County) says “Edmund’s love for his dog made a huge impression the one time I met him at an event. So much care and devotion!”
In 2014, a third animal rescue group became part of Bedford County’s rescue world. Incorporated in April, 2014 and getting their IRS 501c3 status in April, 2015, Friends of Bedford County Animal Shelter is another all-volunteer group that works directly with the shelter (BCAS) to help move animals out of the shelter and into loving forever homes, into other rescue groups who will take custody of them and find homes for them, or into a FOBCAS foster home. Stacy Epperson has been the driving force behind the dedicated team of volunteers who make up FOBCAS, and Edmund was delighted to have another group actively working to carry out his mission for the animals. He always felt like there was plenty of rescue work to go around … and the more volunteers, the merrier!
“Edmund has been a fixture at the shelter since before Friends of Bedford County Animal Shelter was even a thought. When he was still healthy enough to do so, he would visit the county shelter several times a week and chat with staff. Once FOBCAS became a staple, he made it a point to come on the days he knew our volunteers would be there. Our volunteers would spend hours with Edmund as they went about their shelter days. He was always delighted to meet new rescuers, give advice, and pose for pictures with new intake dogs. He never met a stranger and approached each conversation like he was chatting with an old friend. Edmund would save up anything he could get his hands on that he thought the shelter would find useful for the animals and bring it in weekly to donate. He would have given the shirt off his back to any creature that had need of it. He could often be found at any and all events FOBCAS had at the shelter. He would stop by to get a hotdog, say hi, and if you were really lucky, he would invite you to meet his beloved wolf dog, Ila Owasin. Everyone knew Edmund, and loved him. We feel safe speaking for everyone in Bedford rescue when we say his presence will be sorely missed. His dedication to animal rescue was an inspiration to the community, his kindness and demeanor so sorely needed in this line of work. We will miss our friend so very much, but we just know his entrance to the Rainbow Bridge was a crowded and joyous one.”
Written by: Tori Fultz, FOBCAS volunteer
In the beginning Bedford County had one small, crowded county animal shelter and no animal rescues. Today Bedford County has a county shelter run with more focus on compassionate animal care and rehoming unclaimed pets, and three active animal rescues. This was joyful to Edmund. He continued to visit the Bedford County Animal Shelter regularly and would come to adoption and fundraising events for all three rescue organizations. He would proudly wear logo t-shirts from each group. And most importantly, he always had smiles, hugs and supportive praise for each and every volunteer with each of the groups. Sometimes as he was talking with volunteers about how proud he was of what they were doing, you would see misty tears of joy in his eyes. Nothing made Edmund prouder than seeing these three rescue groups working with the Bedford County Animal Shelter and working together for the good of the animals in need in Bedford County. We will always do our best to honor his memory through our cooperative efforts for the animals in need.
“EDMUND”
A KIND SOUL BEYOND NO OTHER
KIND WORDS WHEN YOU NEED UPLIFTEN
ALL EARS WHEN YOU NEED SOMEONE TO LISTEN
A SHOULDER WHEN YOU NEED TO CRY
A FIGHTER WHEN YOU NEED HELP
AN ENCYCLOPEDIA WHEN YOU NEED KNOWLEDGE
A HUG WHEN YOU NEED A SMILE
MANY THINGS HE HAS BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE
THAT ON THIS EARTH I MAY NEVER FIND AGAIN
BUT I’M GLAD TO KNOW THAT I WILL SEE HIM AGAIN
WITH OPEN ARMS AND A SMILING FACE
TELLING ME YOU DID GOOD, KID!
BUT JUST LIKE HIM WHEN THAT DAY COMES, MY JOB ON EARTH WILL BE DONE
LOVE ALWAYS. MISS YOU
JACKIE & TRUVEY
A tribute to Samuel Edmund Coffey written by Jackie Miller, Bedford County Animal Shelter employee and her daughter, Truvey