James J. Cody Jr., known as Bubba to all that knew and loved him, served the city of New York as a fireman on W 31st street in Manhattan at Engine 1/Ladder 24 from 1984-2011 before he was forced to hang up his gear due to illnesses incurred from 9/11. He took pride in being first to the scene, and when there was a seemingly insurmountable problem, people would say, “Call Cody.” He spent his career working as a member of Ladder 24, specializing in forcible entry. He served at Ground Zero for eight consecutive months, working tirelessly, digging through the rubble and debris to find and rescue his fellow firemen and Americans. Later in his career he drove the truck, and as his career progressed, he passed on the tricks of the trade that made his career so successful to future generations of firemen. He co-authored the FDNY forcible entry manual. He was clever, methodical, respected by all who met him, was a force to be reckoned with, and had a heart of gold to match.
Family was of supreme importance to him. Bub was who we called when anything needed to be “fixed.” He could do anything; the impossible just took a little longer. Ask anyone lucky enough to have been touched by his grace. Jimmy grew up on Roxbury Road S (the “Rox,” as he called it) and later married and bought a home of his own there as well.
Upon his retirement, he felt a void within him; he needed to do more, to give more. He found his second calling in this new phase of his beautiful life, finding old bikes in the trash and restoring them to new. He’d work for hours on end, day and night in the garage so that he could load up his pickup with the repaired bicycles to deliver to Lincoln Park in Hempstead to distribute to the children there. When he pulled up, they would flock around his car excitedly yelling, “The bike man is here!” He would also deliver them to the Soup to Nuts soup kitchen for Santa’s day, to Bridges men’s house in Freeport, and to anyone else who wanted a bike. This passion renewed his faith.
There was much more good for Jimmy to do in this world, but God had other plans for him on September 21, 2021. His words before he passed were, “Don’t be mad. Don’t be sad. I’ll be in good company.” He is, was, and forever will be as great a man as could have lived. He lived with honor, respect, and gave all, expecting nothing in return. His favorite quote, from Ralph Waldo Emerson, was, “To know one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded.” Many lives have breathed easier because you have lived, Bubba, and we forever thank you.
James
– Dana LanzilottaI lived you & our friendship…
Even tho we hv not seen each other in decades…
I still hv the rose, pressed in a book, from you on my 22 bd!!
RIP … Michael is there w you now, too❣️