John David Coffey,

John David Coffey, Sr., 88, of Edinburg, W.W.II Veteran and part of the ""Greatest Generation"", passed away Thursday, December 15. The funeral will be held Monday, December 19, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Dellinger Funeral Home in Woodstock. Reverend James D. Baily will officiate. Burial with military honors by Woodstock American Legion Post #199 will follow at Cedarwood Cemetery in Edinburg. Mr. Coffey was born January 27, 1923 in Afton VA, a son of the late Samuel Preston Coffey and Anna June Hildebrand. After his early childhood in Afton, he later lived in Front Royal and was a 1941 graduate of Warren Co. High School. He then worked for Glen L. Martin Aircraft in Baltimore as a machinist until he was called up for military service in September 1943. He served in Company D, 157th Infantry in Italy, France and near the German border. He was slightly wounded in September, 1944 near Cubrial, France and then critically wounded one month later near Jeanmenil, France, losing his right arm in addition to other injuries. After his release from Walter Reed Hospital, he returned to employment at Glen L Martin. He then met his one true love, Dorothy Louise Markle and they were married September 22, 1945. He and his wife first owned and operated Coffey's Grocery in Edinburg for a few years; then bought property along the old Creek Road and raised chickens, hogs and a few cattle. In 1954 they moved to their Shenandoah Ave. home and Mr. Coffey went to work for FMC - Woodstock (later Agritech) where he was employed for 37 years. For many years he was a member of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Edinburg. He is survived by two daughters, Mary Coffey Deavers and her husband Gary of Columbia Furnace, Jonedith Anne Moore and her husband Charles of Picture rocks, PA; one son, John David Coffey, Jr. of Edinburg; two sisters, Mabel Painter and Paige Gochenour of Waynesboro; and a sister-in-law, Marlene Coffey (widow of Rudolph H. Coffey) of MA; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a little sister, Rebecca Coffey; his brother, Rudolph Hamilton Coffey; and his wife of 56 years, Dorothy, whose passing in June of this year so deeply saddened him. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Mr. Coffey will be remembered by his children: as the hardest working man any of them have ever known, for his extremely frugal ways, for his beautiful garden, for his appreciation for a good meal, and for his unwavering expressions of patriotism to his country. He wanted everyone to know ""He always did the best that he could do"". Mary, Anne and David take comfort in knowing that he will again be together with his wife Dorothy. Although Mr. Coffey possessed sufficient resources for good medical care, many in Shenandoah County are not so fortunate. The family requests that Memorial contributions be made to Shenandoah County Free Clinic, P.O. Box 759, Woodstock VA 22664.

John David Coffey,

December 16, 2011