Ray Spencer Cody

Rev. Ray Spencer Cody, 95, a resident of Brian Center Health and Retirement, and formerly of First Assembly Living Center in Concord and Brookshire Avenue in Kannapolis, died Tuesday, January 6, 2004, at the Brian Center. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Mitchell United Methodist Church. The Rev. Evelyn Browning and the Rev. Tom Whidden will officiate. Interment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park. The body will remain at Lady's Funeral Home until taken to the church one hour prior to the service. The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Friday at Lady's Funeral Home. At other times they will be at the home of a daughter, Raychel Carroll, 615 Peacehaven Road, Kannapolis. Born February 16, 1908, in Stanly County, he was a son of the late Pierce Monroe Cody and Grace May Hatley Cody. He obtained an Associates degree from Rutherford Junior College and an AB degree from Catawba College in 1931. He graduated from Duke University School of Religion with a Bachelor of Divinity Degree in 1936. Once licensed to preach, Ray served as a supply pastor in Broadway, North Carolina in the Eastern North Carolina Conference. After his marriage to Bertha Morton Cody in 1936, Ray joined the Northern New York Conference serving charges in Oswego Center, New Haven, Great Bend, and Tupper Lake, New York. After serving 14 years, he transferred to the Western North Carolina Conference in his home state where he became a faithful ambassador for Christ. From 1952 until his retirement in 1973, Ray ministered to churches in Greensboro, Lowesville, Lincolnton, Terrell, Triplett, Kannapolis, and Sparta, North Carolina. Leading people to Christ was one of Ray Cody's missions. He especially enjoyed planning activities for the youth in his churches. He was a Boy Scout Master and enjoyed participating in Scouting activities. After retirement, Ray and Bertha bought a home in Kannapolis. In 1978, he was asked to preach at South China Grove United Methodist Church where he shared his love of God with the congregation there for one year. In 1981, he was awarded the honor of Pastor Emeritus at Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church, for his lifetime of service. He and his wife faithfully attended Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church for 25 years. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Bertha Morton Cody, who died June 2, 2003; and a brother, Wilbert Franklin "Bill" Cody, who died December 23, 1981. Survivors include two daughters, Nancy C. Porter and her husband, Harry, of Seabrook, Texas, Raychel Carroll and her husband, Danny, of Kannapolis; four sisters, Myrtle C. Allen of Eatonton, Georgia, Mary Frances Harris and Jewel C. Medlin, both of Arlington, Virginia and Lucille C. Nance of Albemarle; four granddaughters, Christine Hoyle of Lincolnton, Valerie Marcott of LaPorte, Texas, Kimberly Page and Sara Carroll, both of Kannapolis; five great-grandchildren, Shannon Hoyle and Kasey Hoyle, both of Lincolnton, Courtney Allen of LaPorte, TX, Turner Page and McKenzie Page, both of Kannapolis. Memorials may be sent to Mt. Mitchell United Methodist Church, 6001 Old Concord Salisbury Road, Kannapolis, NC 28083 or Gideons International, PO Box 52, Kannapolis, NC 28082.