This is the pic Cody/Kyle sent me a while back - he said it was pretty close to the way Mark looked, except the dude in the pic was a bit older. Click the pic for the full size. Mark was about 16 at the time. Today, I thought it would be appropriate to change this page to include the speech Mark made at Cody's Memorial Service on November 18, 2001. This is a remarkable story, even more so because it's true. MrB
"I just want to say a few words about my friend Cody. I want to tell Mr and Mrs T that all our thoughts are with them always and I want to thank them for taking me into their home and treating me like a son.
"I'll tell you how special my friend was. When other people were writing me off and I was really on a road to ruin my life, Cody came into it. We got off to a pretty rocky start by trying to beat each other up at school. I realized then that Cody was dangerously full of courage and I was determined to beat him up and show him who was boss. How do you beat a spirit that wont die? After one of my many other encounters, and I ended up in hospital, the only person from school that visited my bed was Cody. Even then I didn't appreciate him. In fact I never trusted his motives. Maybe he was there to smirk. At least that is what I thought. I accepted his friendship with a degree of suspicion. As I got to know him, I realized that he was gutsier than I thought. He was like a dog with a bone and worked hard at winning me over. I was stubborn and suspicious. As our friendship grew, I came to understand the enormous love that Cody had. Not just for people. He loved the mountain, which he called his mountain. He had a passion for the sea in which he spent so much of his life. Most of all he had an enormous love for his family and friends. There were some of us who were closer to Cody than others and my heart goes out to Wingnut, Paul, Steve and Steph. We knew Cody probably better than most, besides his folks. He shared with us a love that has no measure and I will forever be in his debt because God help me if Cody had not fought his way into my life. He has given me lessons of life and memories that I will hold dear for the rest of my life, and which I will treasure with every breath I take.
"So how do you beat a spirit that will not die? You don't. You take it with both hands and put your arms around it and love it with all your heart.
"We love you Cody. Enjoy your new green room buddy."
