Paul Walker’s youngest brother, Cody, opens up about how he deals with the difficult reminders of Paul’s death.
Thursday marks 10 years since Fast and furious the actor died in a car accident on November 30, 2013 at the age of 40.
Cody, 35, tells PEOPLE about the difficult day, saying, “To be completely honest with you, the date I dwell on more and more every year is his birthday. Maybe it’s more my mechanism that I use.”
“Obviously, I’m very aware of November 30, but it’s not a day I choose to dwell on. I concentrate more on September 12. That’s where me, my family, close friends, we all reach out to each other,” he says.
The day of Paul’s death is not a day he focuses on. Instead, he chooses to celebrate his brother’s life. “I don’t make that date. I hate that date,” Cody says. “I think more about his birthday. That’s when I think about him.”
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Paul Walker. Tim P. Whitby/Getty
Cody also loved hearing stories about how Paul’s on-screen work has impacted his fans as he tours the world with FuelFest, live automotive events that donate a portion of the proceeds to his late brother’s nonprofit organization, Reach Out WorldWide.
Cody tells PEOPLE that ROWW is an important part of his brother’s legacy — and talks about Paul’s desire to do more to give back than just writing a check.
“He said, ‘No, I want to go in there and I want to help. I don’t want to be part of some big old PR campaign or anything like that. I want to go to Haiti. I want to go help the people there. I want to go to Chile. I want to go to the Philippines and I want to help ‘,” he recalls.
In September, Paul’s daughter Meadow (25) shared a tribute to her dad on Instagram for his 50th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my guardian angel,” she wrote at the time. “Thank you for your love, guidance, friendship, sunshine and for raising me to see all the beauty in the world. You are the kindest, humblest, most generous and caring soul I know.”
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She continued: “You taught me at a young age to always treat everyone with respect, to do good and take care of our planet. I love you and miss you every day
Cody tells PEOPLE that Paul “loved being a father” and was always “so proud” of Meadow.
Meadow announced the establishment of the Paul Walker Foundation in September 2015 to celebrate her father’s 42nd birthday. In addition to raising awareness of environmental issues, the organization offers grants and scholarships to students and researchers studying marine science and advancing the field as a whole.
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Cody, who named his third child Paul Barrett Walker after his brother earlier this year, says Meadow has “grown into such a beautiful young lady who has picked up the torch and done a wonderful job creating her foundation to save our oceans in honor of [Paul].”
He adds that the late movie star’s “legacy” lives on, as Paul’s nonprofit ROWW “is still helping people all over the world.”
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Source: HIS Education