MEMPHIS, Tenn — Kodie Lewis had a lot going for him.
In a Facebook post earlier this year, Lewis said his highlights for 2022 were moving into his own place, receiving a new position at his job and starting performing as a drag queen known as "Ivy Royale." However, Lewis’ life was cut short.
Memphis Police responded to a man-down call at 1:26 a.m. Dec. 13 — the night of Lewis' 22nd birthday.
According to a post on Nextdoor by his mother, Lewis was found dead in an abandoned apartment complex at Pendleton near Ketchum. She posted that someone shot him, took his car, his phone and his legal firearm.
Family and friends called Lewis a "gentle giant" who would do anything for anyone.
“Working with her and feeling her energy, she was just so excited, like all the time,” says Wednesday Moss, one of the local drag queens at Dru's Place, where Lewis performed, “Being around people like that like Ivy was the joy of my life.”
Someone close to him, who wanted to remain anonymous over safety concerns, told ABC24 “Kodie was a fun loving guy — always had a smile on his face and would light up any room he walked into.”
Lewis’ family has been working on his funeral arrangements since his death last week. A GoFundMe was launched to help cover expenses.
Dru’s bar, where Lewis had been performing as Ivy Royale, is helping them out. Tips from Dec. 18th’s "Newcomers" show are going towards covering some of the costs.
“We’re all banding together and banding together to help her family at this time," says Moss, “All of our tips tonight will be going towards Ivy’s funeral fund to help with her burial and everything that has to go with that.”
It was a night celebrating and honoring the life both Lewis and Ivy Royale, the love they gave, and the legacy they are leaving behind.
“We all perform, we all entertain, we’re going to do what we do best and we’re going to use it to try and help heal someone who’s going through so much hurt right now,” says Moss.
Memphis Police says this continues to be an ongoing investigation and there are no suspect information at this time.