Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on October 10, 2019.

Charley Coleman doesn’t feel like he’s 80, but the artist, triathlon runner, house renovator and antiquer recently blew out 80 candles surrounded by family and friends.

Coleman’s private birthday party took place at the historic Epperly Mill, where his Presidio Art Gallery for outsider folk art resided for years. It featured catered food, a bonfire and performances by local musicians, including Morgan Wade, who is soon to be touring and opening for Lee Ann Womack.

Wade, who is scheduled to play at Floyd’s Dogtown Roadhouse on October 26, played a variety of her originals, including a couple of news songs from her soon-to-be-released album produced by Sadler Vaden (guitarist for Grammy winning Jason Isbell). One of those new songs was co-written with a hit song writer in Nashville, Wade said.

Musician Ash Devine also entertained and even got the crowd yodeling. Devine, who grew up in Blacksburg, got her musician’s start at Floyd’sPine Tavern at the age of 13. Songwriter Stella Trudell of CocoBoio also performed. She was accompanied by bandmates Chris Luster on bass and Bob Dillard on lead guitar.

Coleman, who lives outside of St. Augustine Florida for part of the year, stated that he was “born in Oklahoma, grew up in Texas, moved to Maryland, went to college at age 16, graduated at twenty, got married and was a school guidance counselor at 23.” Following his work as a guidance counselor, Coleman had a long career as a psychologist before he gave it up for his love of art and restoring old houses with recycled materials. “He had a lot of life in him,” one of his sisters recalled.

The Mill, which has recently been renovated by new owners and is being used as an Airbnb, was the draw for Coleman’s move to Floyd.  It was good to come home to Floyd for the party, Coleman said, after a hard 2018 of health issues, which included a bout with Lyme Disease, along with the unexpected death of his daughter, Cindy Eberhardt. His son Mark was at the party, along with two sisters, several grandchildren, and his son-in-law Bobby Eberhardt, who organized the party.

Coleman had triple bypass surgery three years ago, after it was discovered that he had a blocked artery. If he hadn’t had been so fit, he’d be dead, his doctor told him. “I formed tributaries to take the place of the main aorta,” Coleman said.  Even after his surgery and just before his health set-backs last year, he ran three 5K races in Florida and took first place for a 7-day run. He’s currently get back into running.

Coleman, who travels around and has family in Stuart that he stays with, told attendees that he was headed back to Florida. “I get cold,” he joked, adding that his ties to Floyd will continue. “I’ll come back to rekindle my relationships. I don’t want to get totally forgotten,” he said. – Colleen Redman