Ninth Generation

19211. Paul Armfield Coffey was born on 31 December 1934 in North Carolina.⁴⁶⁴⁶² Paul died on 20 April 2007 at the age of 72 in Boone, Watauga Co., NC and was buried at Boone City Cemetery in Boone, Watauga Co., NC.^{46463,46464,46465}

Obituary, The Blowing Rocket, Apr. 30, 2007

This obituary also appeared in the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, Tue., Apr. 24, 2007

Mr. Coffey

Mr. Paul Armfield Coffey, age 72, of Cobble Creek Lane near Blowing Rock, died Friday, April 20 in Boone.

Mr. Coffey was born April 20, 1934 in Boone, a son of Paul Arch and Margaret Linney Coffey.

He was publisher of Rivers’ Printing Company, at that time, the owner of The Watauga Democrat, The Blowing Rocket and The Avery Journal. He served as President of the North Carolina Press Association, the North Carolina Community Newspaper Association, the North Carolina Foundation Board, Appalachian Festival Advisory Board, the American Red Cross and other community organizations.

Armfield is survived by one brother, Frank Coffey and wife, Joyce, of Pinehurst and Boone; one nephew, Paul Coffey; and a cousin, Romulus Linney, both of New York, New York; and his sister-in-law, Jane Rivers of Memphis, Tennessee.

His wife, Rachel Rivers-Coffey; an infant son, Robert Campbell Coffey; and his parents, preceded him in death.

A memorial service for Mr. Coffey was held Thursday morning, April 26th at the Boone City Cemetery. Officiating was the Rev. A.J. Thomas.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory was in charge of the arrangements.

From Watauga Democrat, Apr. 23, 2007

Former Watauga Democrat publisher dies

By Scott Nicholson

Local businessman, philanthropist and former newspaper publisher Armfield Coffey, 72, died Friday after a long illness.

Coffey, of Boone, started at the Watauga Democrat as a press operator, then became a photographer and reporter before taking the helm of executive editor and, later, publisher.

He married Rachel Rivers, former Watauga Democrat publisher who was descended from R.C. Rivers, Sr., one of the paper’s early founders.

In 1994, the couple sold the paper and retired, ending over a century of family ownership. Active in the community, they supported a number of programs and endowments at Appalachian State University, Caldwell Community College & Technical Instituteand local non-profit and service organizations.

Coffey and his family started a teaching fellowship in the ASU English Department in honor of Rachel Rivers-Coffey, who died in 1999.

This photo of Armfield Coffey was taken Feb. 11, 2003 in front of his family's home, the Linney House on King Street. Photo by Marie Freeman

[Photo elsewhere in this report]

One of the more lasting examples of the couple’s generosity is Rivers Park, an accumulation of several parcels donated by the couple over a period of years. Armfield Coffey added a couple of extra properties to the park, which preserves about 10 acres of woodlands in Boone near ASU and along Rivers Street.

B.K. Dorsey, a long-time friend of Coffey, said Coffey was a private man who liked to work quietly behind the scenes without seeking acclaim. Coffey helped Dorsey start an art gallery and said the two had mutual admiration and clicked instantly when they met 35 years ago.

Vivian Barnes grew up on the Coffey family farm and when she graduated from high school in the summer of 1970, Coffey called her up and offered her a job at the newspaper. Aside from a brief hiatus, she has been at the paper ever since, now serving as community news editor.

“I have fond memories of he and Rachel coming over to the farm and riding horses,” Barnes said. “They were kind and caring people.”

Former Boone mayor and longtime friend Velma Burnley said, “I’m so sorry to lose him. He was so generous but never wanted his name mentioned. I’d known Rachel as a young girl and I knew Armfield many years.

They were both very proud of the town of Boone. It just seems so premature for them to be gone.”

Coffey gave an additional piece of property to the town three years ago and was a big supporter of the restored Daniel Boone Monument, donating property and $30,000. Rivers Park will remain a wooded area with walking trails and contains what is now the state’s largest maple tree.

A rock house once belonging to R.C. Rivers will be developed as a museum to store local artifacts and records.

During the June 2004 Boone Town Council meeting, Burnley read a statement acknowledging the gift of additional property. “Both Rachel and Armfield have always preferred to give anonymously and have never sought the limelight. However, we would be remiss if we did not publicly express, for the citizens of Boone, our gratitude for this marvelous gift which is held in perpetuity for future generations,” Burnley said.

Tommy Wilson, publisher of Mountain Times Publications, noted that Armfield Coffey was a former president of the N.C. Press Association and maintained an active interest in the industry.

“Armfield Coffey was Mr. Newspaper around here and I was glad to call him a friend,” Wilson said. “I met him in his favorite hangout, Boone Drug in downtown Boone. He loved the newspaper business and the people in the industry.

“He had continued to attend the North Carolina Press Summer Conventions to stay connected to the industry and enjoy socializing with his friends.

“Recently he made a major contribution to the N.C. Press Association Foundation in the name of his deceased wife, Rachel Rivers Coffey. Armfield was a major part of the Boone and Watauga County culture and always showed an interest in the preservation of that culture. He will be missed.”

The Armfield and Rachel Rivers Coffey Endowment is part of the N.C. Community Foundation and provides funding for the Watauga County Humane Society, the Historic Cove Creek School and Historic Boone, as well as the Jordan Councill Memorial Cemetery.

The couple’s donations also support arts and music programs at Appalachian State University, as well as the Appalachian Cultural Museum.

A graveside service will be held for Coffey at the Boone City Cemetery at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Paul Armfield was the executive editor of the Watauga Democrat . His wife, Rachel Rivers Coffey was the publisher and a novelist.

From The North Carolina PRESS, Vol. 83, No. 10, May 2007

Boone, NC journalism mourn loss of a great friend

The North Carolina newspaper community lost a dear friend April 20 with the death of former Watauga Democrat Publisher Armfield Coffey.

Coffey died in his hometown of Boone after a prolonged illness, according to a published report in the Democrat. He was 72.

A native of western Carolina, Coffey and his wife, the former Rachel Rivers, grew up in the publishing industry. Rivers was a descendant of R. C. Rivers, one of the early founders of the Democrat. Coffey began his career as a press operator at the paper, working his way up to reporter, executive editor and eventually publisher of the Democrat. He also served as publisher of The Blowing Rocket in Blowing Rock and the Avery Journal in Newland.

"Armfield's love of newspapers and newspaper people stemmed in part from the fact that he knew every facet of the business firsthand," long-time friend and NCPA Counsel Emeritus Hugh Stevens wrote in a tribute column (page 4). "He knew what is was like to have ink under your fingernails and also what it took to balance the books."

During their 40-plus years at the Democrat, the Coffeys both served as publishers, and they also have the distinction of both serving as presidents of the North Carolina Press Association: Armfield in 1988-89 and Rachel in 1994-95.

That same year (1994), the Coffeys retired from running the Democrat and sold the paper, ending more than 100 years of ownership by the Rivers family.

"Armfield Coffey was Mr. Newspaper around here," Mountain Times Publications president Tommy Wilson said. "I was glad to call him a friend. I met him in his favorite hangout, Boone Drug in downtown Boone. He loved the newspaper business and the people in the industry."

Even in retirement, Coffey remained an active member of the NCPA and North Carolina Press Foundation, regularly attending meetings around the state. His and his wife's commitment to journalism and education led to the creation of the Rachel Rivers-Coffey Fund for journalism scholarships for North Carolina high school students following Mrs. Coffey's death in 1999.

Gayle Smith, advertising director of the Asheville Citizen-Times and current president of the North Carolina Press Foundation, said, "Armfield and Rachel were huge supporters of the North Carolina Press Association. Their smiles were a fixture at our meetings and they took seriously the mission of NC Press, especially all issues involving open government. Their support and leadership occurred during a crucial period of growth for our organization.

"Armfield took this dedication a step further following Rachel's death and turned his involvement and resources toward the North Carolina Press Foundation. He contributed generously to the foundation in Rachel's memory and later joined the board. Armfield and Rachel brought their own special charm to our organization - and Armfield, as well as Rachel, will be missed."

Coffey's philanthropy also extended to his hometown, donating the 10-acre Rivers Park to Boone, as well as an additional parcel of land in recent years. He was a major supporter of the restoration of the Daniel Boone Monument (donating more property and $30,000); gave a rock house that once belonged to R. C. Rivers to the town for development as a local museum; and endowed a teaching fellowship in the English department at Appalachian State University of Rachel Rivers-Coffey.

The Coffeys also created an endowment for the North Carolina Community Foundation that provides funding for the Watauga County Humane Society, historic programs in Boone and a local cemetery. They were also major supporters of arts and music programs at ASU and the Appalachian Cultural Museum.

Coffey is survived by his brother, Frank Coffey, and his wife, Joyce, of Pinehurst and Boone; a nephew, Paul Coffey; and a cousin, Romulus Linney, of New York, N.Y; and his sister-in-law, Jane Rivers of Memphis, Tenn.

Paul Armfield Coffey and Rachel Ann Rivers were married on 1 May 1965 in Watauga Co., NC.¹⁶³²³ Rachel Ann Rivers, daughter of Robert Campbell Rivers and Bonnie Jean Lewis, was born on 4 May 1943 in Watauga Co., NC.⁴⁶⁴⁶⁶ Rachel died on 24 August 1999 at the age of 56 in Watauga Co., NC and was buried at Boone City Cemetery in Boone, Watauga Co., NC.⁴⁶⁴⁶⁷

Watauga Democrat, Aug. 25, 1999, Boone, Watauga Co., NC

A similar obituary also appeared in the Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC on Aug. 26, 1999

Former newspaper publisher dies after falling from horse

Rachel Rivers-Coffey was long-time county civic leader

By Brad A. Hodges

Watauga Democrat

Rachel Rivers-Coffey died Tuesday night after an accident while doing what she loved most - riding a horse.

Rivers-Coffey, 56, of 145 Cobble Creek Lane, in the Aho community, was a Watauga County native and publisher of the Watauga Democrat for 19 years.

She fell off a horse while riding along Sherwood Road near U.S. 421 at Cove Creek. She had kept the horse in a stable nearby that residents Frank and Brenda Payne owned.

After falling, Rivers-Coffey suffered severe head injuries and fell unconscious.

Cove Creek first responders and Watauga Ambulance Service were dispatched at 1:01 p.m. and arrived within nine minutes, Watauga Ambulance Service owner Tim Wilson said.

Rivers-Coffey arrived at Watauga Medical center at 1:40 p.m. in critical condition.

Soon afterward she was taken by ambulance to N.C. Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, Wilson said. Hospital officials said bad weather did not allow use of a helicopter transport.

Rivers-Coffey died at Baptist shortly after 8 p.m., a nursing supervisor there said. Her husband, Armfield Coffey was present.

Many who knew Rivers-Coffey were shocked at the news.

Boone Mayor Velma Burnley, who had known Rivers-Coffey since she was a child, said Rivers-Coffey helped found the Watauga Humane Society in 1969.

"She wrote the most touching editorials in the newspaper that really helped along the cause," Burnley said. "She was a modest person who never wanted public acclaim or notice."

Rivers-Coffey aided several other causes, but nearly always down played her role in them, friends said.

Jerry Moretz, the vice president at Watauga Medical Center, said she was a member of the hospital's board of trustees and foundation board for several years.

"She's been a real mainstay in the community, and certainly has been very philanthropic in recent years," he said.

Rivers-Coffey also helped propel the Doc and Merle Watson Mountain Folk Art Museum in Cove Creek. The museum - which opened earlier this year - showcases the two nationally acclaimed bluegrass musicians and Watauga County natives.

Rivers-Coffey was a an avid equestrian from childhood until her death. In recent years, she had pressed the need for a veterinarian to serve local horses.

Her grandfather, Robert C. Rivers, Sr. acquired the Watauga Democrat in 1889 with Dauphin Blan Dougherty, father of the two brothers who founded the college that would become Appalachian State University.

Founded in 1888, the newspaper is the oldest business in Watauga County under continuous operation.

Rivers' son, Robert C. Rivers Jr., inherited the newspaper in 1933.

Rivers-Coffey, one of two daughters in his family, took over the newspaper in 1975 when her father died that year.

After more than a century of family ownership, Rivers-Coffey and husband Armfield Coffey sold the Watauga Democrat in 1999.

Rivers-Coffey was a president of the N.C. Press Association in 1994 and 1995.

The Watauga Democrat will honor Rachel Rivers-Coffey with a more thorough tribute on Friday. The newspaper office will close for the funeral. Arrangements were not yet announced Wednesday morning.

"Our entire newspaper family is saddened and shocked by this tragic accident," Publisher Bill Cumming said.

"Rachel and her family set the standard for community journalism in this region and throughout the state. She will be dearly missed."