Obituary of David Joseph Cody

Prior to the service friends may pay their respects beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the Masonic Center David Joseph Cody, Jr. Our Dad David Joseph Cody, Jr. (Dad) was born in Sawyer, Wisconsin on April 18, 1928 to Marie Madelyn (Petersen) and David Joseph Cody, Sr. This was in the Great Lakes Region of Michigan and Wisconsin, in the time of the Great Depression. Dad was the youngest of 3 girls and 2 boys, not counting two boys who died in infancy before the others were born. Madge was the oldest, next Sonny (Francis), then Irene, Toni (Antoinette), and Dave. Irene Vosburg is the last surviving member of the original family. The Cody family moved to the Olympia area in 1929 and lived on East Bay Drive, about a mile north of State Street. Lacey was still unheard of, and Tumwater was just a wide spot in the road. There were three grade schools, only one Jr. High (Washington), and only one High School (William Winlock Miller High aka Olympia High). Dad wrote several letters to us, his daughters, during late 1999 and early 2000 because he wanted us to know details about his family. Mom typed and copied them for us. The letters also referred to roads of “Life’s Highway”, a one-way road that we only travel once. When we think of a good road, we think of concrete, wide and level, straight, dry and well-lit; but we all know by now that this isn’t the road we travel. Sometimes it’s dark and rainy and full of hazards; hills so steep we don’t know if we can get over them, or sometimes a gravel road that has a lot of bumps in it or that turns muddy. He said, “Think of me as a mechanic, trying to help you get started down that road again and your Mother as my helper." We are so blessed that he put his thoughts to paper for us. These letters will be at the Funeral Service on the Memory Table. Grandpa Cody (Pop) was about 50 when Dad was born; a lot older than the dads of most of his friends. Jobs were scarce, almost unheard of, so dads had to do whatever they could to create work for themselves in order to bring a little food to the table. Olympia, being a port city, had ships coming from around the world for lumber loading. In the loading process some of the lumber would fall in the water, and Dad and Pop would collect this lumber. Sometimes the falling lumber was accidental, but sometimes on purpose, because the men loading the ship knew how hard times were and how much this little bit of lumber could help some families. He appreciated these times with his Pop, rowing over to the Port in their little rowboat built from scrap lumber. When it was just the two of them, Pop would talk about himself and his brothers back in Wisconsin and Michigan on the Great Lakes. His mother, known to him as “Mum” and to us as “Granny” was a pretty woman, tall and blonde with very fair skin; a full-blooded Dane. She worked very hard for the family because times were hard and there were plenty of days when she didn’t know what she was going to put on the table for the family to eat. “She stood between us and hunger.” Dad said that kids in school would tell of how hungry they were, not for ice cream or candy, but for real food like potatoes, bread and milk. But his family had been fed and weren’t so hungry that they talked about it to other people. He was grateful to have warm clothes to wear and that they had decent shoes on their feet. His brother, Sonny, (Francis) who was nine years older and married at 17 already had a family. Because of the age difference they didn’t really get to know each other when Dad was a kid. As the years went by Dad desperately wanted to do things with his only brother. He hoped and wished he could go hunting and fishing with Sonny because Pop was getting too old to do those things. It wasn’t until Aggie (Sonny’s wife) died that Dad and Sonny became very close. They would just sit and talk and laugh, recalling old times, hashing over the outlandish stories their Pop would tell, what a good cook “Mum” was, and all the early family memories. Dad admired Sonny for his love and care for Aggie and that he always kept flowers on her grave until his own death. His letters talked about his sisters and advised us, as his daughters, of the importance of being good sisters. “… In order to have a friend you must first be one. But, to have a sister you only need to have the same blood and family. Whether she’s a good sister or not depends a lot on you, doesn’t it? … The positive is what you need to dwell on. Remember that she’s on that same road you are and she may be on the rocky, muddy part so help her where and when you can…” He attended Lacey and Olympia area schools, and graduated from Olympia High School. After his marriage, Dad went to night school to earn his diploma. Deanne, Dawn and Kim also graduated from OHS. Star graduated from the new Capital High School on Cooper Pt. Rd. During these times, the draft was mandatory. He left school with several of his friends in his senior year to enlist in the Navy. He joined the Navy to see the world, but joked that he was grounded on Guam. He was very proud of the Navy and talked about his time in the service and things he learned. He had a great sense of humor and we heard many a tale where Dad would poke fun at the Marines. He earned a WWII Victory Service Medal. After his Navy service he returned to Olympia and a blind date was arranged by their mutual friend, Tom Tifft, with a lovely young lass by the name of Marie Havens. He knew instantly that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. So, 57 years ago, in 1948, he married the love of his life. After he became ill in the late 90’s, among other maladies, he had no appetite. Dad said that he knew he’d married the right woman because he only had to hint that something sounded like it might taste good and Mom ran right out and bought it in every flavor. Dad tells us, in his letters, that the bumpiest and hardest part of “that road” came when they were young. But, because Mom and he were so in love, they looked beyond the hard times and accepted them because they had faith that things would get better as they got farther down that road. He tells us that if we make the right choices, and do all of the stops and goes properly, life does get better, especially if you have lots of help. That’s one of the reason’s for family! Their marriage was blessed with four daughters, Deanne, Dawn, Kim, and Star. Dad thought he wanted a son, but eventually decided that girls were better. Of course, this made a busy man even busier trying to keep up with the demands of a 5-female household. (Imagine the shoes. And estrogen.) Dad talked about wanting to be a mechanic or a carpenter, all the while honing his skills as a painting contractor. A super-man of sorts, he could fix or build anything. Eventually he and Mom started Alpine Painting, Inc. and he retired after 50 years as a master painter. He enjoyed woodworking; deer, elk and moose hunting; fishing and the great outdoors, but it was always his family that brought true joy to his life. (Well, family and good coffee!) Dad believed and quoted that the best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother! He truly loved our mother and once told a family friend that “she was all I ever dreamed a girl could be.” As his daughters, we can’t even begin to tell you of all the ways we loved, adored, and appreciated him. He was kind, gentle, patient, truly a gentleman; slow to anger, self-sacrificing. (All this and good looks, too!) Quick witted with a terrific sense of humor, even in his last days!! He also taught us the meaning of work ethic, whether it was chores, like helping get firewood or feed the animals, or, by simply watching his example. He often teased that soft hands are “hands untouched by work”. He enjoyed quiet times with a cup of coffee and conversation. Loved the view of Mt. Rainier from the back yard of our house on Steamboat Island Road; he loved boating. He loved to travel, but also loved to stay home. He taught us that chocolate is one of the “5” basic food groups. When mom used to pack his lunch, there was always something left over when he came home. I used to think he wasn’t hungry and that’s why he didn’t eat it all. But, years later learned that he always saved something for the kids. Doublemint gum was a mainstay in his shirt pocket, and a pen. He always had a pen. His daughters and their husbands provided him with 11 perfect grandchildren, and 5 perfectly wonderful great-grandchildren who kept him smiling to the last. Preceding him in death were his parents, his brother Francis (Sonny) and his sisters Madge Willson, Antoinette (Toni) Wood, a nephew Tom Willson, and two nieces, Barbara Green and Bobbie Park. He is survived by his wife, Marie, his daughters, Deanne Cushman, Dawn Kirby, Kim (Bruce) Robinson, and Star (Dave) Brown who have been devoted to his care during his lengthy illness. His grandchildren, Nate Cushman, Lisa Cushman, James Cushman, Christy Cushman, David M. Cody (Shin), Kristen (Pat) Reninger, Heidi (Jode) Sullens, David S. Young, Kevin Brown, Lauren Brown, and Karina Brown. Great-grandchildren Mark Reninger, Jacob Reninger, Bailey Reninger, Alicia Sullens and Aspen Sullens. There are so many loving and special friends we want to mention but haven't for fear of leaving someone out (but you know who you are). We will be forever grateful for the genuine friendship as well as the professional care he received from his doctors Rich Kennedy, Lee Antles, Robert Tomford, nurses Verna, Teresa and Heather and the staff in the treatment room at Western Washington Oncology. During his last years and months, many friends became more like kin. Even Dad’s doctors were elated by his determination to continue in spite of his physical condition. He maintained his wit and sense of humor even when he was unable to clearly speak to us. We cannot count the number of times he said, “I love you and thank you, thank you, thank you, all.” Please sign the guest book on-line. Tell us something you remember about our Dad.