Crewe, Virginia
COPPEDGE, Edward Young, retired Virginia Extension Farm Management Agent, tobacco and cattle farmer, left this life on Sunday, November 28, 2010. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Shirley Walters Coppedge; his children, Charles Edward, Anne Coppedge Gill and Thomas Michael; their spouses, Elaine Combee Coppedge, Tony Gill and Shannon Mills Coppedge; and seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all of Nottoway. Ed was born on October 31, 1934 to Granville and Edith Coppedge in Richmond, Va. He was raised in Powhatan, Va., and graduated from Powhatan High School in 1952. His love of farming was born when he spent his summers working for his uncle Tom on the old family farm in Reedville, Va. He earned a Bachelor of Dairy Science from Virginia Tech in 1957. He married Shirley Walters of Christiansburg and Pulaski County on November 28, 1957. He served a stint in the Army as a corpsman and was stationed in Germany. Ed and Shirley came to reside in Nottoway County after Ed accepted a position as a 4-H Agent before moving to the Lunenburg offices as a Farm Management Agent until he retired in 1990. Ed loved his farm and family and always had time to stop and talk with a neighbor or fellow farmer. He will be greatly missed. Family will receive friends and family at McMillian Funeral Home, 200 West Carolina Avenue, Crewe, Va., on December 1, from 7 until 9 p.m. Services will be held at St. Marks United Methodist Church, Crewe, Va., at 1 p.m. on December 2, 2010. Interment to follow.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Please accept heart-felt condolences from a fellow Extension retiree. May each of you find peace and comfort with family, friends and time.
Barry Fox
December 01, 2010 | Petersburg, VA
Ed will be missed by many of us! I enjoyed working with him at the Lunenburg Extension Office. His knowlege of farm management was a great asset to the Extension service and to the community. The family is surrounded by sympathy thoughts and prayers by many of us. Joni Bond Waller Holder, VCE, Lunenburg County
Joni Holder
December 01, 2010
It is hard not to be sad when our parents pass, and to say that "they are in a better place" does little to ease the sorrow. Reading of your father's passing caused me to recall the last time that I spoke to or saw each of you, 0r your dad.
I have not the words to erase your pain, but just want you to know that I am thinking of you during this time of grief.
Chuck Johnson
Chuck Johnson
November 30, 2010 | Petersburg, VA
Shirley, Eddie, Anne and Mike,
I was shocked to hear of the death of Edward. Please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers. Take comfort in knowing that he has now reunited with his parents and Anne Byrd and Bill in heaven and they are now angels looking over us.
Lis Coppedge-Corrigan
November 30, 2010 | South Bend, IN
I have very fond memories of Ed during my childhood years growing up in Kenbridge. He was always so nice to me when he would stop by to talk to my parents. I know you will miss him deeply. My sympathies to you all. Nancy Barnes Baldwin (Hardy & Mariam Barnes' daughter)
November 30, 2010
Take comfort in knowing that now you have a special guardian angel to watch over you.
Linda Chiles
November 30, 2010 | Blackstone, VA
To the Coppedge family:
I worked with Ed for many years while I was at Va Tech serving in a similar role. I always found him with an positive spirit of caring for people. This placed him very well in his vocation of helping farmers help themselves with their management questions. The impacts from his work is very hard to measure, but will be felt for many generations. What a legacy he left. I am so fortunate to have know him. Peace and healing
Dr. Lanny Hass
Lanny Hass
November 30, 2010 | Raleigh, NC
I am so sorry to hear about Ed. I have not had an opportunity to see much of him since we both retired in 1990. Jim Bell, Virginia Tech Agricultural Economics retiree, Blacksburg.
November 30, 2010
Shirley and family:
Just saw the notice in the paper about Ed. I want to express my sadness and let you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of loss and fond remembrance.
You and Ed were so helpful to me as I began my Extension career there in Nottoway County. I always appreciate that.
Thinking of y'all during this time.
Don Fowlkes
November 30, 2010