Florian Joseph “Joe” Cody

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 7:31 pm

Florian Joseph “Joe” Cody, 86, of Sun Prairie, Wis., formerly of Madison, Wis., died Tuesday, March 21, 2017, at New Perspective Senior Living in Sun Prairie, Wis. Mass of the Resurrection is Tuesday, March 28, at 1 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Ossian, with Reverend Robert Gross as the celebrant. There also is a one-hour visitation before Mass at the Church Tuesday. Burial is at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Cemetery, Ossian, with full military rites. Condolences may be left with graufuneralhomes.com. Schmitz-Grau Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Ossian, is helping the family with the arrangements.

Florian Joseph was born May 7, 1930, the son of James and Margaret (Steppler) Cody of Highland, Wis. Joe attended Highland High School, where he graduated in 1949. Joe married Eleanore “Ellie” Marie Lansing Oct. 20, 1956, in St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Ossian. He served as military police in the U.S. Army with an honorable discharge. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., where he graduated with a BA degree in 1960 and MA degree in 1965. His major was in Portuguese with a minor in Spanish. He completed foreign language in French, German, Arabic and Medieval Latin. Joe studied for a period of time in Brazil. Joe worked for the U. S Postal Service, and also as an assistant to a professor at the University of Wisconsin writing a Spanish dictionary, which was published; and was on staff at the Wisconsin Aviation Airport until he retired. He loved flying with his wife, Ellie, in their plane and attended the annual Oshkosh Air Show at Oshkosh, Wis. every year. He enjoyed photography and making movies of family, friends and travels.

Florian is survived by his nieces and nephew, Kathy (Mike) Callies and their family; LuAnn (Chris) Kelley and their family, Carolyn Stewart and family and James Ruppe; a step-nephew, David (Debbie) Piper; six sisters-in-law, Joan Lansing, Anita Lansing, Veronica (Shekleton) Riniker, Caroline Lansing, Victoria Lansing, Margaret Lansing (John Zachar) and many nieces and nephews and their children.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Eleanore Cody; brother, Ralph (Luella) Cody; sisters, Mary (Stanley) Kolenda, and Margaret (Dr. Philip) {Ruppe} Piper; his in-laws, Fred and Monica Lansing; a niece, Susan Kolenda; brothers and sisters-in-laws, Joseph Ruppe, Ray Stewart, Charles Lansing, Carroll Lansing, Madonna (Charles “Bob”) Collins, Robert (Rita) Lansing, Donald Lansing, Fred Lansing, Jr., Angelina Lansing, James Shekleton, and Paul Riniker and nieces and nephews.