Family honors Naples man who died in plane crash near Everglades City

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK)—The memories of a Naples man continue to echo even in the quiet.

Ryan Cody didn't seek attention but somehow changed so many lives around him. For the first time since he was killed in a plane crash near Everglades City, his parents are sharing those memories with WINK News.

Ryan Cody was a light. He moved to Naples about four years ago, and his parents, Jamie and Bob, said Southwest Florida changed him for the better.

He was so invested in his faith, and that echoed across this community. His family holds onto his voice in the stillness, in the memories, in the everyday moments that now feel different.

"I love looking. In fact, I love looking at this picture. You know, every time I walk my aisle, but, you know, I love it," Jamie Cody said.

WINK News anchor Jillian Haggerty sat with his parents two months after the plane crash. They shared the life their son built and the love he left behind.

"Everything Ryan did he just wanted to be closer to God and that meant a lot to us as well," Bob Cody said.

In Southwest Florida, Ryan found home. But more than that, he found purpose.

From teaching children to leading youth groups, he quietly dedicated his life to something bigger than himself. In the days that followed the crash, his parents learned about the lives he touched.

"In fact, people came out from all over and he because he wouldn't come home and say, Oh, I did this. And, you know, he just came. He would come here and visit and, you know, and we loved having him over. But I had no idea that he did have the impact he did on the community," Bob Cody said.

"We got a couple of emails from people, you know, we connected with different people that we knew knew him. And then we just said, Look, if you have a story to share or whatever. And couple of these people will send back notes and say, Hey, I think Ryan's going to be a saint," Jamie Cody said.

The community he helped build quietly, humbly, without ever needing recognition, continues to honor his memory. Ryan's story continues not just in memory but in the people he inspired, the faith he lived and the community he helped shape.

"We miss him," Jamie Cody said.

This Saturday, Ryan's family will get together with friends, family and so many from this community he touched to honor his life and to say goodbye. He will be laid to rest at the Memorial Garden, a place they hope brings peace and a sense of closure as his legacy continues to live on.