Stefannie Todd Coggeshall's Obituary
Stefannie Todd Coggeshall passed away peacefully on September 13, 2022 in Austell, Georgia.
Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania on April 1, 1932, Stefannie was raised in nearby Elkins Park, attending Abington Friends School and Abington Quaker Meeting. Stefannie met her future husband, Russ Coggeshall, in Cape May, New Jersey while working during summer break from Penn State University. They married in 1954 and Stefannie immersed herself into creating a loving home, raising her two daughters, and serving in the Presbyterian Church as they moved along the East Coast for her husband's career.
An avid gardener, Stefannie designed and cultivated beautiful gardens in each of her homes. She took Master Gardener classes and studied historic landscape preservation at the University of Virginia. The granddaughter of a Latin instructor, her knowledge of native plant taxonomy was encyclopedic and current. A member of The Garden Club of Charleston, Stefannie oversaw the revitalization of the historic garden at the Heyward-Washington House.
Stefannie and Russ retired to Kiawah Island where she created an idyllic home base for her young adult daughters and their growing families. "Grammy" organized summer adventures for her grandchildren and hosted many Easter holidays that culminated in services at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston. She shared her love of travel, gardening, and ancient Roman history with unforgettable family trips to Italy.
Stefannie is predeceased by her husband, Russell Coggeshall, and brothers John and Tom Todd. She is survived by her daughters, Ellen Coggeshall (Steve Odom) of Atlanta, and Melissa Carey (Mac) of Arlington, Virginia, her grandchildren, Randy (Kristin), Ellen, and Merrick Carey, Isabel and Hannah Odom, great-grandchildren Russell Graham Carey, and many nieces and nephews.
Stefannie is remembered for her fierce love of family, her humor, pragmatism, and generous philanthropy.
Her family is grateful for the exceptional, compassionate care she received from her caregivers and the staff at Presbyterian Village, and the Trauma and Burn ICU teams at Wellstar Cobb Hospital.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 am Wednesday, September 28th in the Lakeview Room Chapel at Presbyterian Village and at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC this summer.
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