Paul Edward "Chief" Colbert Jr.

Chief was born on September 1, 1944 in Lynchburg, the son of the late Paul Edward Colbert, Sr. and the late Marie Tucker Colbert. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Juanita Marie Hackett and two brothers, Walter David Colbert and Randolph Gordon Colbert.

He was given his nickname by his grandfather and he always wanted to be known as “the Chief”. He spent his childhood years in the city. As a boy, Chief was baptized by the Rev. Bowman at College Hill Baptist Church. He joined his wife, June, as a member of Fairview Christian Church, where the Rev. John Suttenfield married them in 1966.

While visiting his Uncle James’ farm for the summers beginning at the age of seven, he fell in love with the Country Life and as a teenager, he moved there permanently. He loved the fresh air, the wildlife and being outside.

Chief worked with his uncle, boarding dogs and getting them started hunting for sportsmen all over the area. He learned so well that at the age of eleven, he was classified as a professional dog trainer and not allowed to enter any more of the field trials. For over 30 years, he and his uncle were the only bird dog trainers in this part of Virginia. Chief was probably the best marksman in the whole of Virginia. If he took a shot at a bird, he hit it. He was justifiably proud of his skill.

While still a boy, Chief showed great talent in art and he could draw anything – animals, people, whatever he wanted, with no effort at all. A picture of a California mule deer he drew and colored (at age 16) with Crayola crayons has hung on our walls for over 40 years. If not for color blindness, he could have been a great artist.

As a teenager and young man, he was greatly involved with physical fitness. He exercised and lifted weights and turned his slim frame into a marvel of muscular development and strength. He was responsible for saving the lives of two friends using his exceptional strength. He was proud to say that his biceps were inches larger than Arnold Schwarzenegger, the reigning world champion at that time.

At first, with his uncle, and later on by himself, Chief had the most wonderful garden every year. It produced so many vegetables that we ate our fill, preserved them, and shared them with family and friends. People would drive down our road just to see his beautiful garden. If they stopped, he would share some vegetables with them and tell how he grew the good things in his garden.

After several severe arm injuries, Chief was forced to give up training dogs by the end of the eighties. Chief and June focused on boarding pets for people and ended up meeting so many wonderful dogs and making many lasting friendships with their people. He liked to say, “We have a warm heart for cold noses”.

There has never been another man who loved people any more than Chief. He rubbed shoulders with millionaires and the poorest people. He got his “gift of gab” from his Grandma Tucker and his mother, Marie. He loved nothing better than talking to people – anyone- and would talk as long as anyone would listen.

Chief had a “heart of gold” and he has many times given someone the last dollar he had. In recent years, he loved to “hang out” in the woodyard, and gave wood away, lots of times to those who had no money and always sold it at lower prices to help people out. He called this his “ministry”.

Chief’s life has been difficult, especially in recent years. He suffered from a lot of injuries, severe chronic pain and demons, seemingly beyond his control. Yet he was the most loving person. He loved his family, so much. He was so proud of the young adults his daughter and son grew to be. The joy of his grandson and his new granddaughter that he did get to see, knew no bounds. Our lives will be incomplete and much emptier without him.

In addition to his wife, June, Chief is survived by his daughter, Jennifer Lynn Colbert; his son, Christopher Duane Colbert and his wife, Erin and their children, Xavier Brandt Colbert and Neko Grace Colbert. He is also survived by his most loving and devoted sister, Linda Colbert McGann and her husband, Richard, of Lynchburg; sisters-in-law, Kathy Colbert of Ashland, KY, Dorothy Parker of Evington and Ruth Parker Davidson and her husband, Les, of Lynchburg; brother-in-law, Wilbur Parker and his wife, Sandy, of Nathalie and his aunt, Margaret McNabb of Glassboro, N.J. He leaves to mourn his loss many cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He will be missed greatly by his best friend of over 50 years, who is like a brother to him, Kim Woodford and his dear friend, John Porter, who is like a son to him, both of Lynchburg.

Words cannot express our appreciation to all of the doctors, nursing staff and aides who have taken care of Chief during and in the six weeks after his heart surgery. Drs. Messier, ElAhdab and others labored so hard to help him. In addition, our loving thanks go out to Dr. James Vanderwater, who had the most difficult of patients to deal with since 1985, but never gave up on him.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Lynchburg Humane Society, 3305 Naval Reserve Rd., Lynchburg, VA 24501.

A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m., Monday, August 29, 2011, at Whitten Timberlake Chapel by the Rev. D. Jack Hamilton. Interment will follow in Fort Hill Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, August 29, 2011, at Whitten Timberlake Chapel.