Ragnar Oakey, beloved family man, friend, and therapy dog, was called home on Friday, May 8, 2026. He was surrounded by the ones he loved most, at peace with his head resting on his favorite stuffed hedgehog.

While his absence leaves an overwhelming void in the lives of family and friends, the causes for praise and thanksgiving are abundantly clear. Ragnar was blessed with the gifts of empathy, wisdom, compassion, and a servant’s heart. The family business gave him the outlet to employ these gifts in daily ministry to people who were experiencing some of the most intense grief they had ever known. Widows who had just lost their husband of fifty years; parents whose child had been killed in a car crash; special needs children for whom the loss of their grandmother was only an exacerbation of a lifetime of difficulty. These and so many more were the people in the community who Ragnar spent nearly his entire life loving and comforting. He loved his work and the thousands of friends he made all along the way, but as any funeral service professional will attest to, it comes at a cost. He came home so many nights exhausted physically and emotionally. But a calling cannot be ignored and he walked into every room full of mourning families voluntarily and with purpose. To watch our most special little man sacrifice himself every day for the sake of others, truly exhibiting the spirit of Jesus that we are all called to embody, was humbling and inspiring beyond comparison.

After eight years of service, Ragnar retired on October 1, 2025. Only seven days later, his once-mighty body began failing him. Surgery to remove his spleen; a B-cell lymphoma diagnosis; immediate commencement of weekly chemotherapy treatments; the discovery of a heart arrhythmia; a cruciate ligament tear in his back left leg; countless visits with oncologists and cardiologists. Ragnar’s world shrunk dramatically overnight, but his spirit never wavered. His smile for the last seven months of his life was as big and ubiquitous as ever before. The patience, stoicism, and determination with which he carried his cross during this battle were, once again, so humbling and inspiring to witness.

Ragnar’s life outside of work was just as colorful and filled with meaning. He could be found most often hiking mountains with his family and routinely posing for photo-ops at the edges of sheer precipices to give his grandparents heartburn when they later saw the picture. Spring and fall trips to the Outer Banks to relax and run on the beaches with his brother Moose were annual highlights. Anywhere his family went around town, Ragnar went too. Whether it was the Drumstick Dash, GO Fest, Red Sox games, the Sidewalk Art Show, breweries, coffee shops, the farmers market, hardware store, greenways, banks, bookstores, or virtually anywhere else short of the grocery store, Ragnar was there wagging his tail and walking up to strangers to greet them and request a quick petting. Undoubtedly his favorite destination, though, was Blue Cow Ice Cream. His barks of excitement could be heard coming over the Walnut Street bridge and his family was only allowed to order chocolate-free flavors, since he was going to be taking (at least) half from everyone. Watching him enjoy some much-deserved ice cream and walk out with the evidence on his nose was as much a treat for us as it was for him.

The list of life milestones that Ragnar was in the middle of, as well as those he facilitated, is a long and treasured one. He was there the first time his parents met, and two years later served as the ringbearer at their wedding. He was there during the loss of multiple grandparents for his mom. He was there when his parents found out they were expecting a child. He lived in Nashville for two years with dad during school, and later when he bought his first house. He fell in love with his mom and brother right as dad did. He was there for everything for ten years. In the final month of his life, Ragnar performed his greatest act of heroism. Our unflappably calm and content big boy, out of nowhere, started exhibiting severe behavioral problems. Intense anxiety, restlessness, and clinginess manifested that could not be explained or relieved. Fears of dementia, a brain tumor, and other cognitive impairments were discussed. This persisted for over a month until Ragnar’s oncologist, through a line of questioning that can only be classified as divine intervention, asked if we had checked for a gas leak. After calling the gas company and having a technician come to the house, it was confirmed that there had been natural gas leaking from the fireplace in the living room. Ragnar’s mom was six months pregnant and this was the room our family spent nearly all our time in at home, with a candle burning just feet from the leak on a nightly basis. After the leak was stopped and the line to the fireplace sealed, Ragnar’s customary laid-back disposition returned immediately. There is no doubt that, if not for Ragnar’s persistence in working to alert us of the danger we were exposed to, our family and our son who is arriving in July would have been obliviously at risk indefinitely. Having saved us from an event we don’t even like to envision, Ragnar’s work as our protector and our teacher was finished. We enjoyed two more perfect weeks, including a backyard cookout with both sets of his grandparents and all their dogs, before it was time for our angel to leave us. Much like the angel Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life, we suspect that Ragnar’s astonishing feat of heroism in resolving the gas leak was the final act required for him to earn his wings.

The people who made Ragnar’s life so exceedingly joyful are too many to name, but a few cannot go without a heartfelt recognition: his brother, Moose; grandparents, Sammy and Mitzi Oakey; their dogs, Stella and Emmy; other grandparents, Eddie and Angie Link; their daughter, Meredith, and their dogs, Emmy and Annie; best friend, Kenneth Muse; special friend/chef, Amy Lanham; and furry friends, Fitz and Jack. Ragnar had special and unique bonds with all of his closest people. With Allison, time spent together on the sofa before the sun rose every morning was their promised hour to connect one-on-one. He also never let her cook a meal in the kitchen alone. With Moose, receiving licks in the face and mouth was guaranteed any time little Moose had a vantage point he could strike from. The many hours spent hiking together, home alone together, and riding in the car together will be sorely missed by Moose too. With Mitzi, his partner in his therapy work for all eight years, the shared experiences of their ministry as a team leave behind lessons and memories that will bear fruit for her for all the life ahead. The hours every day she spent visiting with him during his cancer journey while Sam and Allison were at work will forever be a moving example of faithful devotion. To make mealtimes more appetizing in the midst of intermittent, chemo-induced nausea, Mitzi made Ragnar special beef and vegetable bowls to go with every meal. For Sammy, spending every Sunday with Ragnar, taking him for greenway walks, and having a treat ready for him every morning when Ragnar got to work were sacred routines that bonded them as one. Sammy was the quintessential “fun grandparent,” chasing Ragnar around the house and letting him revel in the freedom of simply being a dog – a restorative counterbalance to the many hours every week he worked reverently in emotionally charged environments. Through much practice, Sammy even trained 80-pound Ragnar into a dazzling frisbee catcher on the Rivers Edge soccer fields. The roles that Mitzi and Sammy played even in Ragnar’s origins in Phoenix, Arizona are special. For Sammy, a business trip to Scottsdale aligned with the months Ragnar was in his mother’s womb. Sammy took an Uber across town to visit with Mama Emmie and talk to little Ragnar in his mom’s belly. The first words he heard from his future family. For Mitzi, traveling out to Arizona with Sam in the blistering heat of late July to meet and bring home Ragnar will forever be one of life’s great moments. Seeing his tiny head pop out of his carrier bag on the plane home is still the highlight of the trip. For Kenneth Muse, Ragnar’s hand-picked (or paw-picked, rather) best friend, the thousands of hours spent together brought indescribable happiness and excitement into Ragnar’s daily life. As soon as he got his morning treat from Sammy, he would begin scouring the building until he found Kenneth and would spend the whole day with him. The two regularly visited day cares, nursing homes, civic functions, and traveled for various events in Lexington, Charlottesville, Blacksburg, and beyond. For Stella and Emmy, Sammy and Mitzi’s dogs, Ragnar’s life was so much enhanced by the companionship. The time with them was when most of the rules were set aside and he could be wild and crazy with them. And for Amy Lanham, your willingness to cook for Ragnar, check in on him when he was sick, watch him when the whole family was out of town, and even deal with a late-night skunk run-in of Ragnar’s, played such an important role in his life and care.

The most special thanks of all go out to the heroes at the Virginia Tech Animal Cancer Care and Research Center. The team at the ACCRC not only gave us seven beautiful extra months with our sweet boy, but did it with such compassion and love for which we will be eternally grateful. Dr. Jonel Nightingale, Tomicka Hunter, Danielle DeSandro, Brittany Frith, Christy Barry, Natalie Holstege, Jada Tolliver, Dr. Joanne Tuohy, Kassidy Armentrout, Caitlin Tran, Kelsay Bratton, Dr. Beatrix Manning, and Dr. Brendan Boostrom: we love you all forever and thank God for granting us access to the most amazing care team us and Ragnar could have ever imagined.

To the entire Roanoke Valley who showered Ragnar with genuine love and trust, our gratitude is yours. To the staff, past and present, of Oakey’s, thank you for the profuse kindness, prayers, and treating him like part of the team from day one. He adored his work family. To Roanoke Animal Hospital and Nature’s Emporium groomers, thank you for so many years of expert, dignified care of Ragnar. To our neighbors in South Roanoke who made walks so cheerful for Ragnar, and who never stopped checking on us and him during his illness, thank you all so much. For those who wish to reminisce on Ragnar’s amazing life, his Instagram @ragamuffin2016 is an uplifting highlight reel that we will refer to often to connect with him. And for those so inclined, there is no organization we would recommend supporting as highly as the Virginia Tech Animal Cancer Care and Research Center (ACCRC).

Though our hearts ache beyond description and the grieving process is one we will be navigating for months to come, the comforting reality we accept is that Ragnar was never truly ours. He was God’s from the beginning and has been His the whole time. Ragnar was graciously loaned to us for nearly ten years, and the opportunity to love, nurture, and share him has been the honor of a lifetime. To return to the Lord what is His and to give praise for the gift, is also an honor.

Ragnar, we love you more than words could do justice, and we know you love us just as much. Your family will never stop missing you and wishing you were here with us. You are truly our guardian angel now. With Baby Quinn coming in July your heavenly responsibilities are going to be even more important than the ones you had while you were here on earth. So go enjoy your ice cream and remember to send us the occasional sign when we need you a little extra. Thank you for everything, sweet boy.

-Sam, Allison, and Moose