Kodie Lee Willis

On October 3rd, 1992, all of us here were blessed with the birth of Kodie Lee Willis. During his time with us, he was a blessing in many ways. He loved BMX bike riding with friends and family. He enjoyed hiking with his brother and close loved ones and sharing his knowledge and his love for nature. He loved to work with his hands, whether it was carpentry or wood work when he was creating, putting together legos and model cars in his younger years with precision and pride, working on his bikes to perform and compete or working with cars with his mother, his uncle, or just anyone that needed help where he could be of assistance and still do what he loved.

Aside from just hobbies and passions, Kodie was a great young man and a wonderful person. Kodie made everybody feel special. When he was in the room, you could feel his love. He had a humor that would guarantee to bring a smile to your face. Whether he was cracking jokes, doing something goofy to encourage and brighten the room, or bringing everyone together for celebration and happiness. Whenever he came around, no matter what, it would always brighten my day and I’m sure many of yours.

His family was everything. He was a son that would put aside differences to be there for his mother when he knew she needed him. Kodie was Jessica’s best friend and mini her. They did everything together and he was always her protector and guardian angel. He was a loving brother, who talked life, offered comfort, offered words of becoming a good young man to his brother. And that was there at the drop of dime, whenever his brother needed him. Kodie was a father figure to Dakota, always available. He was a grandson that learned many of his passions, values and life lessons from his grandparents. Kodie was always there for family for yard work and landscaping, making sure things looked good for them, because he felt they deserved that and he’d provide it for them. Kodie painted or did home improvement or whatever they needed. He was a nephew and cousin, beloved and cherished by his aunties, uncles, and cousins that cared for him more than he could ever imagine. He loved his lady with a passion, one that even overwhelmed him sometimes, but was real. Mary was everything to him and they were inseparable, and he would have had it no other way.

But most of all, he was a father. He loved his little girl more than himself. He played with her like a father should. He loved her like a father should. He encouraged her and strived to make sure she was strong, loving, and independent. He took walks with her. He had talks with her. He carried her in his heart with every beat it took. Kinley was the single most important and meaningful thing in his existence. That’s who a father really is. He would tell her that you are beautiful, and the two of them would circle and frame her pretty face so she knew beautiful. Then he would tell her you are smart, and they would both point to their head so she would know to strive to be an intelligent young woman one day. Then he would tell her, you are strong and they would flex their arms like strong men, so she would know that she is strong and to never let anyone hurt or take advantage of her. Then he would tell her you are loved, and point to his heart so she knew that he loved her more than she could ever imagine in her wildest dream or greatest fairy tale. He loved her and he will live on in her smile, her life and her heart forever.

In closing, we will greatly miss you. And we collectively hope that you are finally at peace. You will live on in our memories, our stories, your daughter, your spirit and in our hearts. We love you, we miss you.

Memorial Fund on behalf of Kodie for Kinley:

Account: Kisses form heaven from Daddy for Kinley:

Mountain America Federal Credit Union