Cody John Small

On Saturday, August 22, 2020, Cody John Small, our beloved son, brother, and grandson, passed away at the age of 23. Cody was born August 20, 1997 in Barrington, Illinois. He was raised in the Central Valley of California and made his way to Texas to earn his degree and make a life. He loved Texas and was living in Austin.

Cody attended Ripon Christian High School and Linden High School. He had a passion for hands-on learning and the performing arts. He was active in Boy Scouts and truly enjoyed the outdoors. He especially loved camping and hiking. He played the French Horn and loved to sing. He performed in band, musical theater, show choir, and with his mom in the car. Cody loved being active and participated in many sports – baseball, swim, soccer, basketball. He fell in love with football and wrestling. At Linden High he excelled in welding and design. He graduated from Linden High with the class of 2016. He went on to attend and graduate from Texas State Technical College in Waco, where he earned his Associate of Arts Degree in Automotive Technology. Cody was excited to be hired by Sunstate Equipment in Buda, Tx. He loved working as a mechanic and welder. He even created his own small business, “Cultured Tools”, where he would customize wooden hand tools.

Cody was a kind, big-hearted, and loving man. He believed in working hard and not taking anything for granted. He was always willing to lend a hand or an ear; whether it was helping someone with their car or taking time to sit and listen to the homeless man on the corner to hear his story because Cody wanted him to know he seen and was valuable. He was a good friend to all who crossed his path. He loved making people smile and laugh. He had a way of brightening the room with a little dance or his “Stitch” voice. He liked to collect Coca-Cola memorabilia and had a love of all things Disney with a collection of his favorite character – Stitch. His cats, Missy and Copper, always had a special place in his heart. Above all he loved his family and was the protective big brother. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and knew he was child of God.

Cody is survived by his siblings, Rebecca and Tyler Small, Alec Amonett, Zachary and Dillon Diodati, his parents, Heather Small and John Amonett (Tracy, CA), Andrew Small and Jing Chih Wang (Dublin, CA), his uncles and their families, Brandon and Lizzy Simon, Michael and Felicia Small, and Eric Small, and his Grandparents, Jim and RuthAnn Simon, Deborah Wolf-Simon, and Diane Small.

The family will be creating a memorial scholarship with Texas State Technical College-Waco for Automotive Technology. Cody loved and thrived in their program and we believe he would want to give back for all he was given. If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund, please contact the family.