Obituary of John J. Cody

John J Cody Jr passed away Wednesday, October 24, in Glen Cove Hospital, at age 92. John courageouslybattled many health challenges after suffering a stroke in 2014.John is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary (nee Zahtila), and children Jack (Judith), Mary, Anne (Carl),

James (Suzanne), Paul (Mara), and Irene (Joe). A son, Michael, and his wife, Lois, pre-deceased him. John was also blessed with 15 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

John was born in Astoria, NY, in 1926, to an English mother and Irish father, the sixth of nine children – a brother, Tom, survives him.

John tried to enlist in the Navy at age 16 but had to wait a year before serving as a mechanic on a Landing Ship-Tank (LST) for 3½ years in the Pacific. His ship and its crew were involved in the battle of Okinawa and delivering supplies to the survivors of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Upon his return from service, John completed his education then apprenticed as a steamfitter. After several contracting jobs, he landed at the NYC Transit System in 1950 where he worked for 38 years.

John began his career in the IRT Powerhouse, then a road car inspector, as well as a union organizer for the subway workers, ultimately retiring as a superintendent of cars and shops for multiple subway lines and overseeing 12,000 employees.

He and Mary married in 1955. They moved from Astoria to Locust Valley (Long Island) in 1959. From 1956 through 1971, they unleashed 7 children upon an unsuspecting world, which has yet to recover. Within the 30 years of his retirement, John filled his time with visits to his geographically dispersed children and grandchildren, and tirelessly worked around their house in Locust Valley.

By the end, life had delivered a number of punches, but John took every one – he led by example, demonstrating courage and resiliency in the face of so much physical adversity.

A private service was held on Tuesday, Oct 30.