Life story

" Joseph Thomas “Joe” Callahan, Jr., of Orange, Virginia, passed away on February 9, 2024, at UVA Hospital in Charlottesville. Born in 1947 in Concord, New Hampshire, to the late Col. Joseph Thomas Callahan, Sr., and Marion (Rogers) Callahan, he was a longtime resident of northern Virginia. He relocated to Orange to better serve Rikki's Refuge Animal Sanctuary, which he helped found and for which he served as director of security and director of wildlife for the last 25 years.
A U.S. Army veteran and an avid Civil War relic hunter, he had been the manager of J.S. Mosby Antiques & Artifacts for the last eight years.
Tall of stature and given to a sharp sense of humor, he will be remembered for his unwavering and fierce loyalty to those he trusted and his all-encompassing affection for animals of every species.
In addition to his beloved Doberman, Daisy, he is survived by a sister, Elizabeth, and numerous friends, including Kerry Hilliard, Stephen Sylvia, Nancy Dearing Rossbacher, Daniel Smith, Larry Covington, Scottie Barfield, William Leigh, Drew Waholek, Will Bonner, and Karen Melhorn.
Donations in his memory may be made to Rikki’s Refuge at www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate.
A celebration of his life will take place in the spring, when he enjoyed planting seeds in the earth.
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