ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke community came together Sunday at Oakey’s Funeral Service to celebrate the life of Ragnar — a golden retriever who spent years comforting families through some of their most difficult moments and passed in early May.
Photos, flowers and memories filled the room as attendees gathered to honor the gentle therapy dog whose impact stretched far beyond the walls of the funeral home.
A life of service
Ragnar served as Oakey’s Funeral Service’s grief therapy dog from 2018 until his retirement in 2025, attending more than 1,000 funerals and offering comfort to grieving families throughout the Roanoke area and beyond.
“He just lived an extraordinary life, impacted a lot of people around Roanoke and beyond,” said Sam Oakey, Ragnar’s owner…