July 6, 1945 – June 20, 2023
Placerville, CA
The world is a little less adventurous after the sudden passing of Bryce Cordes. He died on a cool June morning at his home atop a hill in Placerville, California.
Born in Chicago, Illinois to Katheryn, a devoted teacher and animal lover, and Emmett, a brilliant chemical engineer; Bryce grew into a naturalist with the heart of an adventurer. When Bryce was twelve the Cordes family relocated to Tujunga, California where Bryce and his older brothers Emmett (Cort) and Glenn played among the scenic hills. Bryce recalled, "Growing up in Tujunga there were only two houses between my home and the endless wild of the San Gabriel mountains, so I spent every opportunity I hiking and exploring."
Bryce was proud of his service to the United States, enlisting voluntarily for the Army in September of 1966. His tour of duty in the Vietnam War presented heartache and challenges, but he forever remained humbled after witnessing the sacrifices of his friends and peers. He achieved the rank of Specialist-5 and was honorably discharged in November of 1968. It is the family’s understanding that he was the last of his cohort of friends from the time of his service, to have survived the Vietnam War.
Bryce was the director and expedition leader of Overland Canoe – a moniker that is a catch-all for the lengthy adventurous journeys he made by canoe, pack-burro, and backpack through North America. These major undertakings included a canoe trip across the U.S. following the Lewis and Clarke route (in reverse and beyond) from Pacific to Atlantic, a hike with pack-burros from Sacramento, California, to Calgary, Alberta, a canoe trip across Canada from Calgary to Quebec, and a canoe trip on the Yukon River from its source to the Bering Sea.
Bryce's vibrant intellect and love of science led to a Bachelor of Science in Biology and teaching credential from CSU Sacramento, and much later a Master of Science in Geosciences from Mississippi State University. As a career science teacher, he primarily taught biology and natural history at the high school level, as well as coached cross country and track. His passion for nature and narratives of wilderness travels helped inspire and educate students for decades, and always in his tie-dyed lab coat.
However, Bryce’s favorite roles in life were those of husband, father, and grandfather. Fiercely “funny”, generous with his wit and life experiences, and eternally kind; Bryce thrived with his family in their hilltop home.
Bryce will be dearly missed and is survived by his wife Debi, his children Shaun and Leah, and his beloved grandchildren Kate, Rowan, and Evelyn.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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