Roanoke – It’s not often a dog will get an obituary, but this service dog has more than earned the remembrance after spending it’s life comforting those grieving the loss of a loved one.
Oakey’s Funeral Service announced the death of Ragnar, the funeral home’s grief therapy dog, saying the golden retriever comforted staff members, grieving families and the wider community for years.
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In a Facebook post, Oakey’s said Ragnar died after serving as its therapy dog from 2018 to 2025. The funeral home invited the public to a casual gathering to “celebrate Ragnar’s life” from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Oakey’s South Chapel. The post said ice cream — “Ragnar’s indulgence of choice” — will be served.
Ragnar became well-known locally for attending funeral services and helping people who were struggling to talk about their grief. As 10 News reported previously, Ragnar attended more than 1,000 funerals and often helped withdrawn mourners open up.
After nearly a decade of service, Oakey wanted Ragnar to take time to enjoy his golden years surrounded by happier times. But one week after he retired in October of 2025, the golden retriever was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma, a form of cancer.
Ragnar was treated at the Animal Cancer Care and Research Center in Roanoke, where veterinarians developed a plan that included surgery and chemotherapy. Chief medical officer Dr. Beatrix Manning said at the time that the center performed specialized testing to determine the type of lymphoma and tailor treatment.
Veterinarians later said Ragnar was in remission and estimated treatment had likely given him about another year of good-quality life.
“Well, they’ve certainly given us time with them, but they’ve given us peace of mind,” owner Sam Oakey said at the time. “They’ve just been, you know, they cried with us, they laughed with us and they’ve just been angels to us.”
Oakey and staff have described Ragnar as more than a workplace companion, crediting him with making emotional connections at services when people might not otherwise have engaged.
Oakey’s said Ragnar’s obituary was included with the Facebook announcement.