Robert Lewis Cox, Jr.

Robert Lewis Cox, Jr.

1949 – 2023

Today we celebrate the healing of a strong, wonderful man and great father, grandfather, husband, son, brother, and friend.  On June 9^th, 2023, after a three-year battle with cancer, Robert L. Cox Jr. joined his departed family, friends, and all the saints in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Robert, or Bobby as he was known, was born in 1949 in Washington D.C. to Robert and Julia Cox.  His father, a World War II POW, was a handsome officer in the United States Air Force who, after the war, met the lovely Julia in Bladenboro, North Carolina.  From his father, Bobby inherited a wonderful sense of humor, a talent for storytelling, and a fiery temper.  From his mother, he received inherent warmth, reserve, and dignity.

Bobby grew up excelling at multiple sports and hobbies but focused on golf as a life-long passion.  Attending Tascosa High School in Amarillo, Texas, he was an all-state golfer and won a scholarship to play for the University of Oklahoma.  There he majored in petroleum land management and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.  And at OU he met the love of his life, Gay Elaine Jenkins, his sophomore year.  They married in 1972 and would enjoy fifty happy years together.

After college, Bobby entered the oil business, learning his trade at Gulf Oil in Jackson, Mississippi, and Houston before moving back to Edmond, Oklahoma, where he would reside for the rest of his life.  And in Oklahoma, Bobby and Gay welcomed their sons Adam and Chris.

Throughout Bobby’s life, he usually woke at dawn, read the Bible, shined his shoes, and arrived at the office long before anyone else.  He usually skipped lunch and ran 3-4 miles instead.  And Bobby continually maintained a single-digit golf handicap, won multiple Oak Tree senior club championships, and in recent years often shot his age or below.

Bobby and Gay enjoyed many trips to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where they would spend precious time with family including their sons, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.  And with them he celebrated a sublime seventieth birthday at Pebble Beach.

To Bobby’s family, he was more than a rock—he was a moral compass, wise advisor, and steadfast supporter.  His sons’ awe of him has never dimmed.  And most importantly, he led them to Christ. 

In his final years, those closest to him witnessed the full extent of his spirit as he battled cancer.  Even amid terrible pain, he only thought of the welfare of his family, often smiling when hearing about his beloved grandchildren.

The golf writer Grantland Rice once wrote: “For when the great scorer comes, to write against your name, He writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.”  Bobby played life’s game with matchless grace, courage, and integrity.  He leaves behind a profound example and cherished memories that will echo through generations. 

Bobby is preceded in death by his parents Robert and Julia Cox; father-in-law Charles Jenkins; mother-in-law Glennes Jenkins; and sisters-in-law Kathy Cox and Daphne Goodson.  Bobby leaves behind his wife Gay; their sons Adam Cox (and wife Melanie); Chris Cox (and wife Kerry); their grandchildren Cora Cox, Duncan Cox, Caroline Cox, and George Cox; his brother Bridge (and wife Janice); his sisters Julia Fletcher (and husband David) and Susie Lokey (and husband Dan); sister-in-law Sherry Gossett (and husband Bill); brother-in-law Charles Jenkins; sister-in-law Suzy Shields (and husband John); brother-in-law Jerry Goodson; and many nieces and nephews.

To these loved ones he leaves behind, we cannot wait to be reunited with him.  Let us find comfort that he is finally healed, that the Lord Jesus has welcomed Bobby home, and His eternal light is shining upon him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Search Ministries, Inc. (500 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 202, Oklahoma City, OK 73102) or to The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City (600 N Martin Luther King Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73117).  A celebration of Bobby’s life will be held at Oak Tree Country Club at 5:00 pm on Friday, June 16^th.