Remembering Cody

Cody Rainey BASCOM — Cody Rainey, a coach says, loved the Hopewell-Loudon basketball program and the kids. Cody, who was at all the boys team's practices and was on the sideline of every game, was a loveable human being, said Roger Jury, the varsity boys basketball coach. "We all loved him," he said. Jury said Cody, a student assistant coach, always wore black pants, a white shirt and a basketball tie, "just like the coaching staff." Family and friends of the five Rainey family members paid their respects during visitation and a funeral Nov. 3 in Hopewell-Loudon School's Chieftain gymnasium. The Raineys' SR 18 house burned Oct. 26. Harrold-Floriana Funeral Home, Fostoria, identified members of the family as James R. Rainey, 46, and his wife, Jodi L. Depinet-Rainey, 41; and their children, Austin James Rainey, 19, Cody, who would've turned 16 Monday, and Jessica Denise Rainey, 7. Cody played basketball during his seventh-grade season. A broken bone then kept him from the sport, but he still wanted to participate. He helped classmates when he was an eighth-grader. "(We) always talked about basketball," said Jury, who's in his third year at Hopewell-Loudon. Jury, who was one of Cody's teachers in eighth grade, said Cody still checked on him all the time during his freshman year. As a freshman and the beginning of this year, Cody was a student assistant coach, a job that entailed more than people think, Jury said. Cody was interested in drawing up plays, performed locker room checks, helped assign some lockers, helped with the clock and made sure equipment was set out. "He took attendance all the time," Jury said. Cody continued participating in band during his injury recovery, playing from a wheelchair. Hopewell-Loudon boys basketball players are wearing black bands on their jerseys in remembrance of Cody, wristbands were donated and the team plans to place a T-shirt with the name Rainey on the bench. A plaque is to be installed on a wall in the school's main gymnasium this week, and it is to serve as a reminder about working hard. The plaque is to be at the far end of the bench so Cody always is a part of the team, Jury said. He said he hopes to be able to change the name of Hopewell-Loudon's tournament to Cody Rainey Tip-Off Classic next year. Officials may take donations for a remembrance at the school during this year's tournament, which is today and Saturday. Jury expressed appreciation for the community and Hopewell-Loudon administration. "We had resources here the next day," he said. Jury said every person can't play 32 minutes per game, and every person can't be the star of the team. Every player has to accept a role. Jury said Cody did the best job he could with being a student assistant coach and manager, taking it seriously and being proud of it. Cody did his job with passion and always had a smile on his face, he said. Jury said Cody 100 percent wanted the best for others and the team. "(He was) always positive, always a smile," he said. Jury described Cody as kind-hearted, energetic and passionate. He said Cody was one of the kindest and most caring people he ever saw. "(He was) always a hard worker," he said.