Bruce Joseph Cody

Born on November 30, 1941, Bruce was raised in Casper, WY, the second son of Paul and Helen (Morris) Cody. By the age of five, he had already demonstrated the artistic talents that would define his life. He attended Saint Anthony's Catholic School and Natrona County High School, where his first job as an artist involved pinstriping friends' cars. In 1960 he enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he pursued his BFA in Fine Art and was an avid skier and member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Bruce met and fell in love with Charlene Lutz in 1961, and they were married shortly after graduation in 1964. In 1966 he earned his MFA in Painting and Printmaking at Washington State University. They welcomed two daughters, Lisa and Sara, and together the family would enjoy their shared interests in art, history, music, books, theater, film, and travel. In 1976–77, Bruce took a sabbatical from his teaching position at Colorado State University in Fort Collins to pursue post-graduate studies at St. Martin's School of Art in London—a formative event that all four of them would always recall with special fondness.

In 1983, the family moved to Denver as Bruce dedicated himself to painting full-time. He was a founding member of the Denver Art Students League, and also produced courtroom drawings for NBC News. Following their move to Santa Fe, NM, in 1992, he and Charlene opened the Charlene Cody Gallery, where together they built tremendous success showing not only Bruce's work but also the work of dozens of other artists. In 2016 they moved to Sun City, AZ—but at no point did Bruce ever consider retiring. He continued to paint daily, as well as to mentor students at the Artists by the Lake and Palo Verde art clubs. When not painting or teaching, he enjoyed reading voraciously and indulging a succession of West Highland Terriers.

Bruce's paintings and prints—an approach to landscape and architecture influenced by Edward Hopper as filtered through the distinctive light of the American West—have been seen in dozens of one-man shows and numerous national publications. His works are in approximately thirty public collections (including the Seattle Art Museum, the Blanton Art Museum in Austin, and the Colorado House of Representatives), seventy corporate collections (including American Express, Exxon-Mobil, and Hilton Hotels), and five hundred private collections throughout North America, Europe, and Japan.

Known for his warmth, generosity, kindness, and sense of humor, Bruce's life was exceedingly rich in love and friendship. He is survived by his wife, Charlene, of Sun City; daughters Lisa Cody (Bill Forman) of South Pasadena, CA, and Sara Cody (Tom Ballatore) or Toluca Lake, CA; and grandsons Thomas, Nicholas, and Alexander Forman. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Gerald Cody.

A memorial service is planned for January 8, 2022, at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City. To send condolences to the Cody family, please visit www.SunlandMemorial.com.