Cody Pelham

Cody lived a life of honor, constancy and passion. A gentle giant of a man, Cody was born on January 9, 1942, in Highland Park, MI, to Cody and Doris (Liimakka) Pelham of Madison Heights, MI. He was the firstborn son in a tall family of stoic, blond Finnish/English/Scots. When the Pelhams arrived, they always made their presence known by sheer force of stature and will.

Cody dedicated his life to teaching and serving others. His favorite topics were history and Ephesians. He loved to learn and to take others on that journey. Cody graduated from Madison High School in June of 1959 and from Evangel University in Springfield, MO in 1963. His academic accomplishments were significant. Motivated by his love of history, he completed a Master of Arts in history at University of Missouri- Columbia. After teaching for his Alma Mater, Evangel University, he returned to the University of Missouri to complete his Doctoral Studies (ABD) in History. His only academic failure (depending on how you look at it) was as a Spanish student in his fifties under Carmen’s tutelage. The only phrase he learned in the course was “I love my teacher with all my heart.” Carmen (who Cody married in 1998) was the sizzle to his silence, the color in his daily landscape.

After teaching history at Evangel, Cody felt the call to missions and served joyfully at Continental Bible College in Brussels, Belgium where he became the Academic Dean. Continental Theological Seminary (its name now), is a place where young people from all over the world are trained to be pastors and ministers of the Gospel. Cody loved imprinting hearts and minds with gospel truth.

People who know Cody use the words “kindness, intelligence and keen wit” to describe him. His stature was only exceeded by his strength of character. Cody had many passions. He loved to cook, read, and write. The more intellectually challenging a recipe was the better the results. Cody wrote an outstanding letter and baked a delicious Poire Tatin. He loved good cheese, Persian Rugs, the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the Detroit Lions. He remained a faithful Detroit Lions fan despite their losses. That was Cody. He was constant. He was influenced mightily by authors G.K Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, Thomas Merton and C.S. Lewis. Cody’s love of Ephesians (which he taught for eleven years) was born from the hardships in his own life and a deep, abiding belief that God could renew your mind and offer you a new life no matter what you had endured. Never a man enamored by worldly wealth, Cody loved to pursue and recycle treasures from estate sales. During his working years, Cody’s was honored to serve as Associate Pastor for Adult Education, Pastoral Care & Counseling at Northville Christian Assembly, Northville, MI. He also loved his hours at Life Challenge of Southeastern Michigan.

Cody’s life expectation in his own words was: “To offer God the remainder of my years in service to him in whatever capacity or venue, asking him to make whatever use he can of my strength, exposures, knowledge, experience and, hopefully, accumulated wisdom.”

Cody is survived by his wife, Carmen (Etienne) Pelham of Front Royal Virginia; stepson, Fernando Uribarri and his wife Karen Uribarri and granddaughter Isabella Uribarri who affectionately called him “Tito Cody”; his children Abigail Lindsey (Pelham) Rasmussen and husband Peter of Saint Paul, MN; Patrick Sayers Pelham and his wife (Amanda) of Saint Paul, MN; and Olivia Merton (Pelham) Barnhart and her husband Ben, of Saint Paul, Minnesota; his brother Rodger D. Pelham and his wife Karen of St. Clair Shores, Michigan; sister Glenda (Pelham) Flaherty and her husband Leland (Gus) Flaherty of Livonia, MI; his sister Gloria (Pelham) VanderVlucht of Bloomfield Hills, MI. His sister Patricia A. Pelham passed away in 2007.

He was a beloved uncle to: Zachary Pelham and his wife Brandi of Bismarck, ND; Sarah (Pelham) Wit and her husband Adam of Harrison Township, MI; Ethan Pelham and his wife Alyssa of Lake Orion, MI; Emily (Pelham) Tedeschi and her husband Matt of Suffern, NY; Laura (Flaherty) Koepplin and her husband Scott of Livonia, MI; Peter Flaherty and his wife Heather of Castle Rock, CO; Derek VanderVlucht of Utica, MI and Seth VanderVlucht and his wife Lexi of Destin, FL.

Cody's Virginia memorial service will be held this Wednesday Feb. 23, 2022, at 6 p.m. at The Church at Skyline, 7655 Stonewall Jackson Highway, Front Royal, VA 22630.

Michigan funeral services start with visitation on Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Harry J. Will, 37000 Six Mile Rd, Livonia, MI 48152. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, February 27, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. at Northville Christian Assembly, 41355 Six Mile Rd, Northville, MI 48168. Internment will take place on Monday, February 28, 2022, at 10 a.m. at White Chapel Cemetery, 621 W. Long Lake Rd Troy, MI 48098.

In lieu of flowers the family asks donations to be directed to Life Challenge of Detroit, Michigan. Here is the link:

http://www.lifechallengeofmichigan.org/#!/home