'He meant the world to me': Loved ones reflect on 25-year-old who died in Hillyard motorcycle crash
Apr. 17—Cody Mayo's most notable physical characteristic was his long, red beard, earning him the nickname "Code Red" from some of his co-workers.
"He was so proud of that thing," said Jessica Barth, Mayo's mother.
Besides sporting long facial hair, Mayo exhibited a strong work ethic, dependability, good humor and a willingness to help others, according to his loved ones.
The 25-year-old's life was cut short March 28 when he died riding his motorcycle on the north edge of Spokane's Hillyard Neighborhood. The crash that afternoon on Market Street and Francis Avenue involved another vehicle, according to the Spokane Police Department.
Officer Daniel Strassenberg, spokesman for the department, declined to release the circumstances of the crash, citing the ongoing investigation, but he said criminal charges against the other driver are not expected.
Barth said her son was wearing his helmet.
Before she found out about the crash, Barth said Mayo did not answer her phone calls, which was unusual. Her friend then notified her of the accident, which was not too far from her northeast Spokane residence, so she headed to the scene.
She saw his motorcycle and knew Mayo was involved. She said she and her son messaged each other on Snapchat, which showed her Mayo's location at the Hillyard intersection.
"He meant the world to me," she said. "I mean, he was so special."
Mayo was born and raised in Spokane and graduated from Rogers High School in 2018. He worked the past four years mowing lawns and landscaping.
He started at Living Water Lawn & Tree Care before the company's landscape maintenance division split to form Ron Davis Lawncare & Landscaping, where Mayo worked most recently.
Tristin Sparks, one of Mayo's friends and co-workers, said Mayo was one of the top employees.
"He was the go-to guy at Ron Davis Lawncare when it came to if you needed someone to do something, and we weren't working that day, Cody would pick up anything and he'd get it done," Sparks said. "He was a good guy."
Barth said her son enjoyed his job and would always leave home right away when he got an unexpected call to go to work, showing his dedication to his work and those around him, she said.
"He was always willing to help people," Barth said.
Besides his long beard, Barth said he loved riding his 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, wearing his SpongeBob SquarePants-themed socks and shoes and drinking Monster Energy drinks. She said he had a case of Monsters with him riding his motorcycle.
He also liked playing with his many RC cars and "blowing things up," she said.
He liked to ride motorcycles with his only sibling and older brother, Jared Barth. Barth said her two sons got their motorcycle endorsements together.
"He was doing what he loved, being free and riding his bike," she said of Mayo's death.
Barth said she and her son lived together, and he also cared for her because her hip and back problems make it difficult to perform certain tasks. Photos of her son, posing by himself and with family members, are stationed by the front door of her apartment.
"It's hard, you know, because I think Cody should walk through the door," she said. "I mean, I just don't understand why it had to be Cody."
Carolyn Dunlap, general manager at Living Water, was a friend of Mayo's and his former boss.
"Cody was just like one of my kids," she said.
Dunlap, who is Davis' daughter and Sparks' mother, said Mayo's strong work ethic shot him up the company ladder to "mow lead." But when it was time to relax at the end of the day, he was a "goofball" who made people smile.
"He was just a good kid," Dunlap said. "He died too young."
She called him a great man who worked hard to take care of himself and his mom. His death left a big hole in people's hearts, she said.
"Cody was just a young man when he started here," Dunlap said. "He was really just a young man learning what he wanted to do in life."
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