Marie Cody

Ethel Marie Phillips Cody, an 87-year-old resident of East Bend, Yadkin County, passed away on June 22, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Born on February 3, 1939, in the Baltimore community of Yadkin County, she was raised on her parents’ farm, Marshall Wilson and Annie Pearl Graves Phillips.

Throughout her life, Marie cherished her pets. She began her formal education at Little Forbush Elementary School in Yadkin County and later transferred to Yadkinville High School, where she was graduated in 1958.

Marie pursued a career as a registered nurse at Rowan Memorial Nursing School in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Her nursing career took her to various locations, including Winston-Salem, Charleston, South Carolina, Bridgeport, California, Riverside, California, El Paso, Texas (where she worked at the first dialysis unit), Winston-Salem again (where she served as the first transplant coordinator and participated in two significant research studies), and as a prison nurse. She also worked at the Wake Forest University Student Health Center and as a call nurse. Her career concluded in outpatient clinics in Winston-Salem at Baptist Hospital.

After retiring in Yadkin County, Marie maintained the old homeplace and became an active member of the Yadkin County Democratic Party. She also helped her extended Philips family compile some of their history.

Ethel Marie Phillips Cody was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Frances Rosalyn P. Shacklett, who resided in El Paso, Texas. She is survived by her son, Bryan R. Cody, who resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Marie lived a fulfilling life and was surrounded by many friends. The family extends its deepest gratitude to her caregivers in Raleigh for their unwavering support and dedication. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to a charity of your choice.