In Memoriam: Tom Cody, 1941-2025

Post Date: March 7, 2025 | Publish Date:

In Memoriam

Tom Cody, former Macy’s executive, deeply involved community leader, and long-time trustee and friend of Cincinnati Children’s, died peacefully at his home on March 5, 2025. He was 83.

“Tom Cody believed in Cincinnati and worked tirelessly to make it better. As chair of the boards of Cincinnati Children’s, United Way, Cincinnati CAN, and the Chamber of Commerce, he played a pivotal role in shaping the future of our city. He championed business, philanthropy, education, and more. But above all, Tom loved kids, celebrated science and respected every person,” wrote Michael Fisher, retired president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s, in a tribute published in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Cody became a trustee in 1992 and served as chairman from 2009 to 2018, where he was instrumental in supporting the medical center’s dramatic growth into a research powerhouse.

“The Heart Institute was the first institute formed at (Cincinnati Children’s) and Tom and Mary Ellen were completely invested in the vision that this was going to be a new way of organizing the business unit, the research arm, the clinical arm, and the educational arm,” recalled Jeff Robbins, PhD, former co-director of the Heart Institute, in a 2017 video. (Robbins died in 2022.)

In addition to his support of Cincinnati Children’s, Cody co-chaired the influential Cincinnati Community Action Now, led annual fundraising campaigns for the United Way, and served on multiple boards of trustees, including Xavier University, St. Xavier High School, St. Ursula Academy and Central State University.

His many contributions led to him being named a Great Living Cincinnatian in 2013 by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber. (Watch a video about the honor)

Read a full obituary about Tom Cody

Watch a celebration video produced in 2017.