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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN MEMORY OF MR. JAMES A. ``BUD'' CODY, SR.
______
HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart and
solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated
leader and true champion for the law enforcement community, Mr. James
A. ``Bud'' Cody, Sr. Sadly, Bud passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
A public memorial celebrating his life and legacy will be held on
Saturday, July 13, 2019, at 2 p.m. at the Georgia Public Safety
Training Center in Forsyth, Georgia.
James A. ``Bud'' Cody, Sr. was born on November 27, 1938, in
Willacoochee, Georgia to the union of the late Homer and Mellie Cody.
At a young age, he was destined to be a part of something greater than
himself. While attending Valdosta High School, he was a member of the
school's famed football program and state winning 4x4 track relay team.
At the age of 18, he began working full-time at the Boys Club in
Valdosta, and it was then that Bud realized his passion for helping
underprivileged youth reach their full potential. As a full-time father
and husband, Bud attended night classes at Valdosta State College and
in 1961, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology
and Social Work. Upon his graduation, the Boys Club relocated him to
Texas where he was instrumental in the establishment of several Boys
Club facilities across Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico.
Bud discovered his second passion for serving the Office of Sheriff
through improving law enforcement and training in 1966 when the Georgia
Sheriffs' Association {GSA) hired him to serve as their first Executive
Director. That same year, he began his tenure as the Director of the
Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes' Boys Ranch in Hahira, Georgia and as the
Treasurer for the Sheriffs' Retirement Fund of Georgia {SRFG). He
actively served in all three roles until his retirement in September of
2012. During his 46-year tenure as the Executive Director of the
Georgia Sheriffs' Association, he was sought after by several Georgia
governors {ranging from Governor Sanders to Governor Perdue) for his
advice and counsel on matters relating to improving law enforcement
throughout the state.
Bud's impact on the law enforcement community expanded in 1978, when
he joined his friend and business partner, Claude Grizzard, to form the
company, Computer Fund Raising {CFR), which provided financial
assistance to millions of officers and youth in over 30 states. In
1980, in an effort to nationally protect and preserve the Office of
Sheriff, Bud worked with Bobby Timmons of the Alabama Sheriffs'
Association to form the National Sheriff's Association Committee of
Presidents and Executive Directors. In 1982, Bud used his position as
Treasurer of the SRFG to assume control of the Fund's $9 million in
assets and helped increase it to its current total of $97 million, to
ensure that those who gave their lives to protect and serve receive
retirement funds. Bud took his passion one step further in 1990 when he
worked with state leaders, criminal justice practitioners, and Sheriffs
to establish the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth,
Georgia, a world-class public safety training facility that trains more
than 2,000 students daily. He also helped create safe havens and
educational opportunities for thousands of Georgia's youth by
overseeing the development of youth homes in Cherokee Estate, Pineland,
Herrington, Homestead, and Mountain View, Georgia. Additionally, in
1995, he and the GSA created the Georgia Sheriffs' Youth Homes
Foundation, which currently holds $15 million in assets for their on-
going youth homes.
Bud accomplished much in his life; but, none of it would have been
possible without the Grace of God and the love and support of his
family--including his children, James, Jr., Derek, Camille, Amy, and
Celena {deceased); his twelve grandchildren; and his four great-
grandchildren. Maya Angelou once said, ``A great soul serves everyone
all the time. A great soul never dies.'' Bud is undoubtedly great
because of his selfless service, devotion to his work, and the
compassion he showed for his friends and loved ones. Bud's impression
on this earth extends beyond himself to the very well-being of the
communities in which he lived and served.
Madam Speaker, my wife, Vivian, and I, along with the almost 730,000
people in Georgia's Second Congressional District, salute Mr. James A.
``Bud'' Cody, Sr. for an outstanding career within law enforcement and
his lifelong dedication to serving his community. I ask my colleagues
in the House of Representatives to join us in extending our deepest
sympathies to Bud's family, friends, and loved ones during this
difficult time. We pray that they will be consoled and comforted by an
abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
____________________
