Cody Wyatt Reece

Wasilla resident Cody Wyatt Reece, 14, died Jan. 2 at his home.

Services were held Saturday at Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Anchorage. Mike Shero officiated.

Cody was born on March 28, 1995 at Elmendorf AFB. He was a student at Colony High School where he participated in ROTC.

His family wrote: “Cody was born at Elmendorf Hospital to Randy and Star Reece. He loved Alaska and all that it had to offer. He especially loved sledding in the winter and playing in the water in the summer. He loved life and played like no other child. When he wasn’t even 2 years old he used a hammer and broke his dad’s aquarium. As the water from the cracked aquarium poured onto the floor he said, ‘water … fish free.’ As he got older he loved catching fish even if they were tiny, but he would get bored at the water’s edge when there wasn’t anything to catch. But no worries, he’d toss rocks into the water for hours to pass the time.

“He was so proud of the things he accomplished. When he was young he’d do craft projects with his dad and give them out as gifts to family and loved ones. Recently he discovered Jr. ROTC at Colony High School. He loved the challenge of a program that required excellence. He came home one day with a huge scuff on his dress shoes and he was quite upset. So he slowly polished that scuff out until it was nearly unnoticeable. The exercise and time spent with his troop was a constant topic of conversation.

“Most of all Cody had a very soft heart. He was patient and gentle with the little ones in his life and always had animals that were special to him. He was not afraid of being un-cool like so many young teens. Cody truly understood the value of a good hug. He would work the room looking for someone who needed a ‘refill hug’ and hug those problems away. The loss of Cody will change life for everyone who knew him.”

Cody is survived by his father, Randy Reece; brother, Gregory Reece; grandmother, Laurie Reece; grandmother, Linda Weller; grandfather, John Weller; great-grandmother, Marilyn Taylor; aunt and uncle, Stephen and Shandi Bailey; great-uncle, Robert Taylor; great-aunt, Debra Kruse; great-aunt, Karen Valloza; great-grandmother, Marylee Taylor; uncle, Stephen Reece; aunt and uncle, Tracy and Hector Tovar; aunt and uncle, Dana and Kim Urbanek; aunt and uncle, Dawn and Alvin Austin; uncle and aunt, Scott and Lisa Weller; aunt and uncle, Misty and Brian Mealing; uncle, Ryan Reece; and also by a large extended family and his friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Star Weller.