JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A mountain of a man has left this community. Dr. William Cody, a prominent local obstetrician, died of cancer last week at 73 years old. Cody was a military veteran, a loving father, husband and friend.
His wife, Betty Cody, welcomed me into her home to talk about the man she’s loved for most of her life. This Christmas will be the first one she’ll spend without her husband in 51 years. We sat in one of Dr. Cody’s favorite spaces, the study, surrounded by his books, family pictures and peace that wrapped around us both. This was one of the few places they could really by alone.
“It was difficult to go anywhere out in the city and not run into people that were saying, ‘Dr. Cody, Dr. Cody, you delivered my baby, you remember me?’” Betty Cody said.
Dr. Cody delivered more than 4,100 babies and Mrs. Cody said she was always impressed because he would remember.
“When he retired, and people would say, ‘Well, do you miss it?’ He said, ‘What I miss are the patients,’” Betty Cody said.
She fell in love and married her sweetheart before he went to med school and even then she knew his heart for his patients. He was committed to the work and that remained constant when he opened his OB-GYN practice 29 years ago in 1991.
“He would put the patients even before himself. It was important to him. So it was important to him to not just be a doctor, but to be a good doctor,” Betty said.
She, her daughter and her son sacrificed so Dr. Cody could serve his patients, but there was one way to get him all to themselves.
“We would make sure we would go away for vacation because that’s the only way that he would let it go. So even when the kids were growing up, it was so important to us to have family vacations,” Betty said.
Betty said they traveled the world together as a family and not just once a year. When he retired in 2020 they kept making plans.
“We still had plans. I was supposed to wake up in February on my birthday in India because I told him I wanted to see the Taj Mahal,” Betty said.
While they had already put those plans on hold because of cancer treatments, Betty hadn’t planned to say goodbye.
“We felt that it would be a journey that we would make and have a story to tell afterward. And that was really our frame of thinking,” Betty said.
Now that he’s gone, she is lifted up by her village, the many organizations that the Codys are a part of, and knowing that she honored her husband both on earth and in heaven.
“I don’t have to live with regret. And that is a peaceful feeling when you don’t have to live with regret,” Betty said. “This is the last thing I get to do for him, and it’s just been so important to me to just try to make it everything that I want it to be and that I think he’d be pleased with.”
Betty said as she reflects on her husband’s life, she knows he’d want to be remembered for three things.
“He would like to be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather. It was very important to him to take care of his family. And he would voice that. And he really did do a good job of that from every aspect,” Betty said. “I think he’d also like to be remembered as a very caring physician because he really did care about his patients. And I think he’d also like to be remembered as a very good mentor because it’s like teaching was a part of him.”
The Codys started a foundation honoring their only daughter, Caroline Cody. Caroline was murdered during a burglary in 2000 during her first year at medical school at The University of Florida. Instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations to The William and Betty Cody Foundation, which provides scholarships to deserving high school students every year.
Several ceremonies are taking place to honor Dr. Cody’s life and legacy. Everyone is invited to take part.
Visitation:
Thursday, Dec. 14
5-8 p.m.
The Bethel Church
215 Bethel Baptist St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
Funeral Service
Friday, Dec. 15
12 p.m.
The Bethel Church
215 Bethel Baptist St., Jacksonville, FL 32202
Interment
Friday, Dec. 15
1:30 p.m.
Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Cemetery
4801 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
If you want an option other than flowers
Donations can be mailed to:
The William and Betty Cody Foundation
10240 Heather Glen Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32256
The Foundation is a 501c3 foundation and awards scholarships to deserving high school students
Funeral Directors
Holmes-Glover-Solomon Funeral Directors
4334 Brentwood Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32206
904-768-5215