Cody's Legacy: Support His Beloved Family

UPDATE:

THANK YOU to everyone that has generously helped to support Cody's family. It has been a tough time for Rachel and the 4 young children. They are having to navigate their life without Cody's presence and financial support. He was the primary and only financial provider. Rachel is appreciative of all of the support as they still learn to navigate their lives around this loss.

Continued assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for you love and donations.

On December 19, 2024, 1 short week before Christmas, our beloved Cody James Rice unexpectedly passed away.

He left behind his family; his wife Rachel of 15 years (23 years together) and his 4 children, ages 13, 11, 8, and 2.

Rachel and the children are forever affected by this tragedy and the loss of their husband, Daddy, friend, playmate, provider, and bedtime book reader and snuggler.

This funding request has been made in order to support funeral expenses and to offer support to Rachel and her 4 children as they grieve and she is better able to navigate their lives without their Daddy and financial support.

This horrible tragedy has been devastating to their family, many friends, co-workers, and the loved ones Cody has left behind.

Cody has family and friends in South Carolina, Arizona and Georgia. Cody will be cremated as per his wishes and Rachel will fulfill his wishes to celebrate his life with his family and friends, in the spring.

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ABOUT CODY:

Cody was such a multifaceted person with many interests, from woodworking to gardening, music to Eastern Philosophy. He was very intelligent and loved learning. He enjoyed a good challenge.

He was an athlete in high school, playing football, wrestling, and as a swimmer.

His love of water carried on throughout his life and it carries on with his own 4 little water lovers. He loved body surfing and swimming with his kids. Beach trips were frequent, and summers were spent in the pool and at water parks. He also enjoyed acting and was in theatre for a bit.

Cody became a respiratory therapist while living in Phoenix, AZ. After he and Rachel married, they decided to move to the East Coast and begin their family. That is where he began his long career as a pediatric respiratory therapist. He found a love working with children and babies in the NICU, PICU, and CVICU.

He was incredibly knowledgeable, won many awards, and received many accolades for his work and contribution at the hospitals. But what meant the most were the cards, letters, and notes from the parents of the children and babies that he took care of. Parents often thought that he looked too young to be the father of 4 children. His young patients loved his crazy colored and patterned socks. He was patient and calm with distressed parents as he took care of their babies and children, educating them in the process, and helped save the lives of many little ones.

He loved the outdoors and nature, which went along with their family’s homeschooling philosophy. There were frequent trips to museums, libraries, events, and lots of family nature hikes. He would often hike barefoot while being the Daddy pack mule for the water/snacks and sometimes even carrying a kid or 2, who decided that riding on Dad would be much more fun than walking.

He was athletic and completed many endurance races and competitions.

He loved woodworking and building crazy climbing structures for his children, encouraging their bravery and desire for climbing. He built numerous benches and shelves, chicken pens, and chicken tractors for their homesteading dream/goal.

This is where his interest in gardening and all things spicy began. He was enamored with growing the hottest peppers on the planet and sharing the seeds, tinctures, and sauces that he would make with his fellow fiery pepper lover friends. His philosophy was “The hotter the better!” And yes… he ate them daily.

He and Rachel were planning the homestead of their dreams on their land. Fruit trees and bushes are in large pots, growing, and waiting for their day to be permanently planted. Seeds were harvested and saved. The produce from their garden was harvested and freeze-dried. They raise chickens, using them to create a regenerative farm. Their goal was to be self-sufficient and self-sustaining. They had big plans and goals for their future and were working hard to make their dreams come true for their beautiful family.

To say that Cody had a love for music is an understatement. Music was in his soul. He taught himself to play acoustic, bass, and electric guitar, and the ukulele. You could often find him doing some funny dance while singing and playing for his kids. They have multiple instruments, and all the children would join along in Dad’s silly band. He was even a DJ, complete with turntables and TONS of EDM vinyl records of different genres and artists. Music was constant. Spinning records with Dad was something he started with his children when they were young and was always a good time. He spent many days and nights spinning records with his best friends as well.

Cody also had such a passion for cooking. He was the chef of the house, known for his famous pasta sauce and incredible meatballs (Yes! They are THAT GOOD!), burgers, soups, and salads. He was always singing and chopping in the kitchen.

This tragedy has been horribly devastating to Rachel and the children. She appreciates the outpouring of love that has been shown. Cody was the sole financial provider for this family.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read about Cody's life and for donating to this wonderful family during their time of grief and transition.