The obituary of a New York man is going viral after his family issued a stark warning about the dangers of drink driving and not wearing y...
The obituary of a New York man is going viral after his family issued a stark warning about the dangers of drink driving and not wearing your seat belt.
New York State corrections officer Cody Holland, 25, was branded a 'dumb a**' in the family tribute, after he was killed in a car accident Saturday while driving drunk.
The obituary - a mixture of good humor and brutal honesty - said James died 'as a result of injuries sustained from being a dumb a**. He drank, drove, and didn’t wear his seat belt!
'Please, don’t be a dumb a**!' the family implored.
No other details of his crash were mentioned.
The tribute also joked about Cody's loves, including 'his middle finger and showing his butt to the world'.
Cody Holland, 25, died Saturday from injuries sustained in a DUI accident
The NY corrections officer, pictured with his girlfriend, was driving drunk and was not wearing his seat belt when the accident happened, his family said, calling him a 'dumba**'
His mother and aunt have defended their decision to issue the stern warning in Facebook posts after they received some criticism over their choice of words.
'I'm sorry if you don't feel this was appropriate but it was hard and it is honest. I love this child more than anyone can even imagine,' his mother Colleen Lynch wrote.
'My beautiful, smart, handsome boy.. I called him a dumb a** because he was doing dumb a** things.'
She added that she hoped it would make people think before driving drunk in the future.
'If you knew him or know me you would know that he read this and did exactly what I did..laughed, cried, got angry and laughed again. If this obituary makes even ONE person rethink drinking and driving then I have no regrets,' Lynch added.
As her post went viral, many commented in support of Lynch and the warning she had issued.
His mother, pictured center with Cody and one of her other sons, has defended her decision to call out her son for his actions the otherwise light-hearted obituary
Cody, pictured with his mother, was said to be a 'tough guy with a big heart'
His mother Colleen hit back at the obituary's critics on Facebook
'You are real and there is nothing wrong with that. I read that obituary and I did laugh and cry. Yes, if this makes one person not get behind the wheel and drive drunk then you saved one person, one commenter wrote.
'After crying and laughing while reading Cody’s obituary I had my 16 year old read it. Your words were perfect and I as I read them I could hear your voice. Thank you for your honesty in this awful time,' another added.
His aunt Trisha Gutterson Culligan also hit out at the obituary's critics.
'Our entire family is grieving in different ways. You don’t have to LIKE the obituary and how it’s written. Remember it’s NOT about your views or opinions, it’s about who HE was!' she wrote.
'If this obituary stops one friend, one family member, one stranger from driving drunk behind the wheel of their vehicle...then let this go viral.
'We were all young once and have ALL made horrible decisions in life. Perhaps our family’s tragic loss, saves another family the same heartbreak!'
Others thanked the family for their brutal honesty in the obituary
Hi aunt, who co-wrote the obituary, also defended their choice and said that the family hoped that the obituary would warn others about the dangers of drunk driving
The North County resident was said to be a 'tough guy with a big heart' who loved 'his black wife-beater t-shirts, his trucks, his motorcycle, his dog, his girl, his guns, huntin’ and fishin’ with his friends and family.
'He loved Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Shania Twain (“You Make Me Feel Like a Woman”, we hope she did at least once!)' the obit continues.
'He loved his middle finger and showing his butt to the world!'
'He loved steak, chew and beer,' the list of loves continues. 'Again, not in that order!'
The New Yorker 'was pretty sure he was a gangsta' in his younger days, the family jokes.
Cody 'loved his middle finger and showing his butt to the world!' his family said
He is survived by the 'love of his life' Alexis Sawyer, pictured with him above
'Gold chains, hat on sideways and pants down to his ankles. Some things don’t change. He grew up, but still loved inappropriate t-shirts, ball caps, and big belt buckles,' they wrote.
'Cody attended (sometimes) Heuvelton Central School where he was a standout athlete and scholar. He loved his teammates (soccer, basketball, and baseball).'
They add that Holland used to joke he would be a porn star when he grew up but instead got his degree from Paul Smith's and became a Corrections Officer.
'Cody played hard and lived life like he wanted,' the family said.
'His favorite saying was “You don’t tell me what to do, I do what I want!”'
'Please come to the calling hours dressed how you are most comfortable. This is how Cody would want it,' they added ahead of Friday's funeral service.
He is survived by the 'love of his life' Alexis Sawyer, his mother and father, and two brothers.
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