Darian Dudrick – “The Voice of Cody” (1969-2021)
Written by Andrew-Rossi on September 22, 2021
Cody and Park County mourn the tragic, sudden loss of Darian Dudrick, a respected and highly decorated broadcaster and “the voice of Cody” for nearly a decade.
Darian Dudrick passed away at the age of 52 after a sudden illness. He leaves behind his wife, April, and two children, Kaitlyn and Christian.
Darian graduated from Colorado State University-Pueblo and was a 22-year newspaper industry veteran, mainly as an editor. He previously lent his journalism expertise to newspapers in Denver and Cody.
Darian joined the Big Horn Radio Network in 2014. He was the host of “Daybreak with Darian Dudrick,” and the award-winning Speak Your Piece for seven years.
He won multiple awards from the Wyoming Broadcasting Association and several other press association awards in newspapers and radio during his career.
A partial list of his achievements within the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters:
- Best News Talk – Small Market (2016)
- Station of the Year – Small Market (2018)
- Best News Talk Show & Best Use of Digital Media (2020)
- Best News Talk – Small Market (2021)
The following statement has been released by Larry and Susan Patrick, the owners of the Big Horn Radio Network:
Darian Dudrick was with the Big Horn Radio Network for seven years and was a stalwart presence on KODI with the Daybreak Show and Speak Your Piece. Darian was an award-winning broadcaster multiple times over and had a strong impact on the community by shining a light on many local issues and bringing all sorts of opinions and people together on Speak Your Piece. He interviewed local, regional, state, and national figures and his deft handling of interviews will truly be missed on our airwaves. More importantly, Darian was a terrific guy. He loved his family, God, his community, and his coworkers. He took such joy in his life, work, and family and was an example to us all. We hold his family in our thoughts and prayers. Darian is a light and a voice that we will all miss tremendously.
Hear the farewell to Darian Dudrick on the Sept. 22 edition of Speak Your Piece here:
Details on memorials for Darian Dudrick will be posted as information becomes available. You may leave a comment for the Dudrick Family below.
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Pia Brauser On September 22, 2021 at 12:23 pm
Andrew, Thank you for the courage to do this farewell. My heart break for the family, you and all the team at KODI. He was a wonderful Godly man.
Corrine On September 22, 2021 at 12:43 pm
I cannot imagine that there is a dry eye in Cody with the news of Darian’s passing. He was a man of principle and a wonderful voice of reason. May God bless his wife and children and give them peace knowing that their husband/father was a man 1st of God, second committed to them, and 3rd a much loved presence in our community. He will be missed.
Nancy Tía Briwn On September 22, 2021 at 1:06 pm
I am so sorry to hear this sad news . I have known Darian fir many years , and always found him to be professional and fair in his broadcasting . He was easy to talk to and very genuine , plus he had a wonderful sense of humor .
Cody will miss him ! My sincere sympathy goes to his family at this difficult time .
Melodie Ferri On September 22, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Good Job Andrew…..You did a good job in a very difficult situation.
Tina Hoebelheinrich On September 22, 2021 at 2:43 pm
Thank you Andrew. What a tremendous tribute.
Amber Fisher On September 22, 2021 at 3:46 pm
My prayers are with Darian’s whole family during this time and days to come.
Sonya Graves On September 22, 2021 at 8:30 pm
I’m shocked and terribly saddened to hear this news. I loved listening to Darian EVERY day.
Tim Anderson On September 22, 2021 at 10:04 pm
I preface my comment by saying I’m uncomfortable with death (as many of us are, of course); ever since the first funeral of a relative that I attended, I’ve had a difficult time figuring out how to conduct myself in those tough situations – I’m usually rendered quite speechless and even motionless, too.
All of that being said, when I got the news about Darian’s passing, the loss of a former colleague has compelled me to share my condolences.
I’d say that Darian had some proverbially big shoes to fill when he came to the radio station, and with all of the various changes that occur while on a job, I’m glad to have seen him make the morning shows his own. Darian was a pleasure to work alongside – a pro indeed who I always found to be well-prepared and informed, witty, and a real teammate. I enjoyed our talks on-air (we were always suckers for good lists and/or rankings HAHA) as well as off it, plus I had fun being in his company at functions outside the office.
As sad as I am about his death, I’m also as “happy” as one could be at a time like this seeing the impact he had on the community and the fondness with which he’s remembered already. My thoughts go out to Darian’s family and those who were close to him both personally as well as professionally. He was a good person who’ll definitely be missed in so many places.
Godspeed, DD.
Lita On September 23, 2021 at 1:29 pm
Darian touched so many lives by being such a genuine, humorous, intelligent and decent man. It speaks well of who he was and the life he lived that people care so deeply and are so saddened by his loss. May God’s peace be with all those who mourn!
Storrie Small On September 23, 2021 at 3:01 pm
Please. Get. The. Vaccine.
Susan On September 25, 2021 at 9:27 am
My routine was listening to Darian every morning. I will truly miss hearing his voice. Listening to Darian’s show you could tell he was a wonderful man. Five days after hearing the news my heart is still heavy. May he rest in peace. Prayers to this family and friends.
Norm Sedig On September 30, 2021 at 7:51 am
My prayers are with April, Kaitlyn, Christian, & KODI for the loss of a great man. It is my distinct pleasure and with utmost respect to remember Darian with fond memories. Darian woke me up every morning and I was a dedicated, trusting listener. I appreciated his support of me and his interviews with me. He always called me “Coach”. I first met him when I took him in my Rolling Stone Issues of Top 500 Albums & Top 500 Songs. Which he referred to often. We shared our love for music, sports, & movies. The community of Cody will miss Darian greatly, but we sure have beautiful memories of what he meant to us and our lives. peace, love, woodstock. Norm “Coach Seadog” Sedig
Lee Davidson MD On October 1, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Seems like an unnecessary loss. Hopefully others didn’t follow all of his advise.