MARQUETTE – Hundreds of balloons, colorful and untethered, rose together into the cold twilight falling over Marquette Mountain Thursday in celebration of the life of Cody Revord.

The balloons were released from the hands of more than 200 people – family members, friends, classmates, companions in skating, biking and snowboarding – who came to the ski hill Thursday evening for Revord’s memorial.

An avid snowboarder, skater and biker, Revord, a 17-year-old Marquette Senior High School junior, recently suffered a severe injury while snowboarding. He died Thursday morning at UP Health System – Marquette.

In the ski hill’s lodge, those who knew and loved Revord, clutching balloons bearing his name or wearing T-shirts with his picture, wept quietly and embraced, and laughed together as some shared their memories of him – his apparently insatiable appetite, his goofy grin and fondness for hugs.

Jesie Melchiori, general manager at the ski hill, and members of Revord’s family encouraged people to share memories as a way to help cope with their loss.

Melchiori talked about how quickly unexpected things can happen while skiing or snowboarding, and urged everyone to take all safety precautions.

“Cody wasn’t doing anything he hadn’t done before,” she said. “He wasn’t trying a new trick. He was just out there doing what he loved.”

John Holman, a second cousin to Revord who referred to him as “my little skate buddy,” said snowboarding and skateboarding knits people together, that the sports helped create the kinship and camaraderie he and many others felt with Revord. He said Revord was one of the people, along with himself, who volunteered his time and energy to help finish the Marquette Skate Plaza.

Casualties, a Marquette skate and snowboard shop, said in a Thursday Facebook post that Revord was a fixture of the community’s skate- and snowboarding scene.

“From the skate park, mountain, video premieres, boot camps, contests, and special events Cody was there for everything,” the post said. “You will be in our hearts forever.”

The shop has a special “For Cody” snowboard for his loved ones to sign for Revord’s family.

Melchiori said Marquette Mountain will install a permanent monument to Revord’s memory somewhere on the hill.

As the service wound down, Revord’s grandfather talked about his grandson’s affectionate nature. He said family members had given him the nickname “Cody Bear” because of his affinity for hugging.

Melchiori ended the memorial by urging those gathered to “give everyone a great big Cody Bear hug.”

Zach Jay can be reached at 906-486-4401.