Mr. John Daniel Cody Sr.

John Daniel Cody Sr. – Obituary In loving memory of John Daniel Cody Sr., our devoted husband and caring father. John was born in 1922 in Nashua, New Hampshire, served our country in three wars, and raised a family of three wonderful boys. He is survived by his lovely wife, Carol [Van De Voorde], three sons, John, Kevin, and Brian, and six grandchildren. We miss him dearly. John was preceded in death by his two sisters, Catherine [Leavene] and Theresa [Toussaint], and his brother, James. He has an extensive family of nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. John first served in the Army during World War II, and then returned home to Nashua, NH to work with his father and family in the DF Shea Company, that specialized in painting and wallpaper. One challenging yet gratifying contract was painting the Hershey factories in Hershey, Pennsylvania. John was called back to serve his country in the Korean War. After being activated, John continued to serve our country for a total of 22 years and achieved the rank of Chief Warrant Officer in the US Army. John received his Bachelors degree from Western Michigan University and a Masters degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Upon retirement from the military, John and his wife Carol, and their three sons moved to Kalamazoo, and then Paw Paw, Michigan. John started several businesses in Southwestern Michigan. He was active in politics for over 40 years and he ran for County Clerk in Van Buren, Michigan. Eventually, his passion for travel and supporting his country led him to start a career at Tank Automotive-Armaments Command as a US Military Equipment Quality Assurance Specialist – traveling around the world to ensure the integrity of our military equipment. John retired at the age of 68; however, he was called back to civilian service to serve his country during the first Gulf War crisis. When John Cody was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's, one of the things he regretted was not being able to give more to his country. For Meritorious Service during the Viet Nam War, John received the Bronze Star in 1967. He lived with Alzheimer's disease his last nine years. John's personal sacrifices and professional achievements, and his family values exemplify the spirit of our nation. John's presence blessed our lives and the lives of many for 93 years. We still think his life was taken too soon.