Celebrating the Life of Edward “Richard” Cordell
I have been a part of the Cordell family since I was 14 years old. In the time I spent slowly becoming his daughter-in-law and then mother of two of his grandchildren, I learned a lot about Richard. He earned many names in the “only 30 years” that he always swore he was young. He has been called the good, the bad, and the ugly ... haven’t we all? But he always owned all of them proudly because he knew who he was and didn’t care if someone didn’t like him for it! But the one name that everyone who truly knew him knew was his favorite, well they knew that it could take his breath away. It could get you, your little brother, AND EVEN your best friend a Happy Meal with an ice cream cone at the same time!! Last year, for Christmas, I got him the perfect shirt with this favorite name on it.... “My favorite people call me ‘Pawpaw’.” He wore that name more proudly than any other nickname or title he’d ever been given.
Who could have ever dreamed this would be the last Christmas present I ever bought him? Who could have ever dreamed that just under a year later, his wife of 30 years, two sons and their wives, and all his grandchildren would be facing their first Christmas without him. Pawpaw’s first Christmas to be spent with Jesus! ✝️
On Monday, December 7, 2020, my children’s Pawpaw peeked into the house asking to visit with them, but they were at school. He stood there and chatted for a minute and seemed like he was doing great. Even better than normal. By Tuesday night, Judy wasn’t sure what, but something was wrong with him. On Wednesday morning, December 9, 2020, he was critically ill. Kidney failure, going into septic shock, and COVID-19 positive. We were all terrified as none of this sounded like it would be an easy fight. But Richard, AKA Pawpaw, has fought it all as hard as he could while in a medically induced coma at St. Vincent’s East. He even started showing signs that he might come out of this with no problems.... Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst. A sharp turn. Pawpaw will not be coming out of this. He won’t be home for Christmas. This horrible disease has taken over his body, and is taking him from his family. A wife of 30 years has to tell her best friend, “Goodbye forever, my love, until we one day meet again at the gates of Heaven.” As if this is not enough, she will not have the funds needed to celebrate his life as he wished. He no longer has life insurance since Judy changed jobs to teach at Prattville Primary. While she absolutely loves her job, the loss of that benefit didn’t seem like it should matter at the time. Sadly, the funeral expenses will all have to come out of pocket. If you are able to give, please give. If not, please share as much as possible, and pray for our family without ceasing.
Please continue to pray for those he is survived by: his amazingly strong and kindhearted wife, Judy Thomas Cordell; his two awesome sons, Christopher Edward Cordell and Matthew Thomas Cordell (and their awesome wives Haley Cordell and Samantha Cordell), and all of his grand babies - Aiden Cordell, Addie Cordell, Alice Cordell, Daxton Cordell, and Audrey Cordell - and all who knew and loved him. ❤️
“When I get where I’m going, and I see my maker’s face, I’ll stand forever in the light of his Amazing Grace.”