Winter Haven, FL/ Cody, WY
Kit Cody (67), died tragically in a plane crash on February 14, 2013. Kit was flying his Cessna 310 from the Bahamas with his brother, Barry, and a friend when the plane crashed near the Fort Drum Conservation Area in Florida.
Kit was born in Orlando, Florida on April 22, 1945. He attended High School in Winter Haven, Fl and enlisted in the Army in 1964. Kit was stationed in Minz, Germany and was a Paratrooper in the 509th Airborne Infantry, where he met his lifelong friends, Glenn Rice of Cody and John Syktech of California. He was honorably discharged in 1967 with the rank of Sergeant.
Kit met the love of his life, Linda, in California in March, 1971. They married three months later, on June 26, 1971 in Cody, WY. Kit and Linda had two children, Kellie and Kevin, and raised their family in Cody.
Kit was a motivated, hard working and creative entrepreneur, owning several businesses in Cody, WY over the years. He focused primarily on the motel business over the last 30 years, owning properties in Cody and in the Central Florida area. In 2004, Kit proudly declared himself “Retired” and devoted his time to family, friends and fun.
While living in Cody, Kit loved serving the community. He became the youngest Chamber of Commerce President in 1976, served 10 years as the local American Legion Commander and enjoyed serving on the VFW Honor Guard the last several years.
A compassionate soul, Kit also had an interest in health care. He attended the Northwest Community College Nursing program and served as an EMT for the Cody Ambulance. He also volunteered at the Nursing Home where he was known to lift spirits with his sense of humor and caring touch.
Kit will be especially remembered for his adventurous spirit. So filled with energy, he enjoyed flying, motorcycling, skydiving, scuba diving, boating, water skiing, downhill skiing, hiking and backpacking in the mountains. He and Linda also loved to travel and had many grand adventures all over the world.
Those close to Kit say “there was no better man” and he will be dearly missed. His life would seem too short to many, however, those whose lives were touched by him understand that the quality of existence far exceeds the quantity of time in which one lives.
Kit is preceded in death by his parents, William “Bill” and Dorothy and his brother, Jack. Kit’s brother, Barry, died along side him in the plane crash. He is survived by his wife, Linda, daughter Kellie (Bryan) Edwards of Cody, son Kevin (Natalia) Cody of Atlanta, Georgia, brother Bill Garlow of Cody, his 5 beloved grandchildren, Alex, Emilie, Andrew, Kylie and Tyler, nieces, nephews, cousins and many treasured friends.
A Memorial Service for Kit and his brother, Barry, will be held on Friday, February 22 at 2 p.m. at the Ott-Laughlin Funeral home in Winter Haven, Fl.
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