Jonathan "Jonny" Bedell

COLUMBIA Jonathan "Jonny" Corey Howard Bedell, or simply "J" to his family, age 27, passed away unexpectedly early Thursday morning, April 11, 2013. The celebration of Jonathan's life will be Sunday, April 14, 2013, at Dunbar Funeral Home, located at 7600 Woodrow St. Irmo, SC 29063. There will be a worship service beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by an opportunity to share stories and memories at 3:45. Bring your fondest memories of Jonathan to share. There will also be an opportunity to leave Jonathan with your private written goodbyes. Visitation will take place between 5:00 and 7:00. Please join us for all of these events or any one event that fits your style. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 18, 1985, Jonathan was the third child born of Frank and Marti Cosper Bedell. J is survived by his sisters, Rebecca Hughes (Tim) of Florida and Rachel McKie (Rusty) of Tennessee. J loved his niece, Alissa Hughes, and his new nephew, Justus McKie. Jonny is also survived by his life partner, Amauri Almanza of Columbia, who is also loved by the entire Bedell family. Jonathan comes from a large extended family and will be missed greatly by his many aunts, uncles, cousins, niece and nephew and his grandparents, Cliff and Prue Bedell and Mary Anne Cosper. Jonny brought joy, love, and friendship to scores of people around the world. An explorer at heart, Jonny was able to study in Scotland for his junior year of college. He loved to hike the Scottish trails, particularly Hadrian's Wall and, most recently, the Great Glen Way. Jonny was a runner who ran for many different reasons. Sometimes he ran to be physically fit, to accompany a friend, or simply for the finisher's medal. He ran several half as well as full marathons. He was spontaneous and at times entered these races with little or no preparation, but he always completed them. Jonathan was unusually compassionate, both to people, especially the hurting or the underdog, and to animals, the injured and the orphaned. As a young man, he volunteered at Carolina Wildlife, Inc. for many years, later working part time for them until his passing. His work included the at-home care of preemie squirrels known as "pinkies". His dedication to these small animals was such that he would stay up all night tending to their needs. His love for animals was further evident in the special bond he had with his cat Puffy Face, who was his best friend for sixteen years. His unique love for cats continued as he and Amauri took in three cats that needed a home: Alistar, Cotton and Robert, as well as two "porch" cats, Bobbin and Nubin. Dreaming and planning for the future brought joy to Jonny. He enjoyed traveling immensely - many times overseas - doing projects around the house, and making trips with friends, just to name a few. At the time of his passing, he was eagerly saving all his coins in a large jar labeled "Cruise". His friends were of paramount importance to Jonny. He showed his love for his friends through countless self-giving ways. He loved facebook, and we all will miss his many informative and humorous posts. It brought Jonny great happiness to cook his favorite Indian dish for his friends and family. He also enjoyed a monthly supper club. It was a delight to Jonny to work at "sbux", where he made many friends on both sides of the counter. In addition, he was loved by his coworkers at SCDEW. Jonathan was kind, empathetic, smart, tenacious, passionate, and loved others deeply. He never missed an opportunity to say "I love you". Since he was a child, his favorite response to his mom's "I love you" was "I love you more". Cherish and share the good memories forever. Jonathan, J, Jonny- you will always own a piece of our heart. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Carolina Wildlife, Inc., 5551 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29212.