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Old Dominion University Randolph-Macon College

Willis Cox Obituary

GLOUCESTER - Willis Cox died Monday, Aug. 25, 2008, in Gloucester, Va.
Born in Newport News in 1927, Willis graduated from Newport News High School, attended Randolph Macon College, graduated from Christopher Newport University, and did graduate studies at Old Dominion University. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy after serving during WWII.
Willis was past owner and manger of Cox Fuel and Hardware Company, James Store General Mdse. Store and served as Postmaster until 1992. Upon retirement he enjoyed employment as a Wal-Mart greeter.
He was a past member of Liberty Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and Bible teacher. He was currently a member of Newington Baptist Church in Gloucester. As past Vice Mayor of Hampton, he served on many Hampton community boards. In Gloucester, he served on the Industrial Development Authority, the committees of the First Daffodil Festival, Street Naming, and Peasley School Architect Design. He was on the boards of directors of the Lewis B. Puller Center and the Gloucester Library.
Willis authored several books, including 'Tidbits for Thought, Conversations about God ' and 'Phillips Daffodil.' He was a volunteer host on a local Gloucester TV show. Willis was recipient of the 1979 Bursary Award of the International Society of Postmasters of Geneva, Switzerland and was the 1998 Distinguished CNU Alumni.
Preceding him in death was his wife, Rosemary Coates Cox, and his parents, Willis and Beulah Cox.
He is survived by his daughters, Beulah E. Cox and Perri Fenstermacher; son-in-law, Scott Fenstermacher; and grandsons, Phillip and Douglas Fenstermacher.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, at Newington Baptist Church. Following the service, the family will greet friends in the fellowship hall. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Willis to a favorite charity.
Andrews Funeral Home, Gloucester, Va., is in charge of arrangements. View and post condolences on our online guestbook at dailypress.com/guestbooks.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Daily Press on Aug. 28, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Willis Cox

15 Entries

Mark Holthaus

September 4, 2008

Dear Perri & Family:
I was very sorry to learn of the recent passing of your father. Though he is no longer with us day-to-day, he is always with us in our memories and through his many stories and writings.

Please know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Gail Wallace

August 30, 2008

Perri and family:

I was so sorry to hear of your loss. My thoughts are with each of you during this very difficult time.

Clyde Allen Murphy

August 29, 2008

Beulah; Perri Scott Phillip and Douglas,

First of all let me say how sad I am to note the passing of Willis, your daddy, your grand-dad, your father-in-law and your friend; I share your sorrow and pray for your strength, and may I suggest you draw that strength from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now on to his memory.... WOW is about all I can say. I also laugh when I think of him, oh how he loved a good laugh and having fun.
I have known Willis for probably 50 years, dating back to Roberta Drive and Liberty Baptist Church. He was one of those old "typhoons", he and I always had a battle about the old Hampton ~ Newport News rivalry games, track, baseball, basketball and yea even football. I was there to wish him well as he became the first Republican (yea we differed there too) member of the Hampton Council since reconstruction as I remember, and then becoming Vice-Mayor. During this time my family knew Rosemary and the kids from the Church, and knew him to be a man of faith,(he and I didn't differ in our profession of faith).
I remember vividly him moving across the river, I remember him sending me letters postmarked from James Store (the greatest postmark in America) and how I showed them off to my friends, and tell them I knew the postmaster from James Store Virginia....(WHERE they said). As a practical joke on me, the first time he gave me directions to his place, I ended up on Gwynns Island. When I got back to James Store, after quite a journey, he said "Yea, thats the way I sent you, and you still found me, Why didn't you ask if you were lost well before you got to that Island?; He knew I'd enjoy the trip around the counties............I did, we laughed and I loved the country.

We have lost another of our countries "Greatest Generation", and I salute his service to our country as well.

I remember sometime in the late 1990's Christopher Newport was going to honor him, he searched me down to tell me a college was going to honor him, I joked they should check his records, to see if he really did get accepted, or if he just talked his way in; which leads to the greeter at Wal-Mart; I actually think they wrote the job description for him, and passed it out to all of the world, BE LIKE WILLIS ! ! ! ! ! !
I would agree, that to "be like Willis" wouldn't be all that bad.

I can speak personally about his abiding faith in the Lord, and his sharing his faith numerous times.
I expect that our Lord welcomed him into heaven on Monday, but with one stipulation, "Willis, wait until Friday to ask all of your questions". Well, its Friday, and I'm sure he's asking a few.
I will miss my friend, I loved him.

May peace be to all of the family, the peace that passes all understanding, both now and forever.

Perri and Beulah, he was a man of slight stature, but a tower of a man in my eyes. I will never forget his wisdom, his gentle nature,(even though he could get red in the face, almost ready to burst) and his friendship.

Accept my prayers as you hold the service Sunday.
Best wishes, and Love to you all.

Clyde Murphy

Carplyn Gardner Valentine

August 29, 2008

Sorry to hear about Mr. Cox's passing. He was a warm and expressive soul who made everyone he met his friend. He and his wife, Rosemary, will always be remembered by the residents of James Store.

Jackie & John Rawls

August 28, 2008

Perri and family,

We are so sorry for your loss. Although we only knew your dad from his Wal-Mart days, he always had a pleasant greeting for eveyone.

Please tell Douglas we are thinking of him. I still think of him coming to our house last year when Michael died. It was so nice of him to come to talk with Kristen.

May you all feel God's love surround you and lift you up.

The Rawls

Bill Murphy

August 28, 2008

So many memories of Willis and Rosemary as I was growing up at Liberty Baptist Church. He is sharing time with his loving wife again and having a big reunion with all that were there waiting for him. A great Christain brother and and caring person.

Zack Loesch

August 28, 2008

What a warm and wonderful man. I met him several times and felt that he was a friend, that we knew each other by sight. He will be greatly missed. I imagine that Willis now greets people at heaven's gates.He lived the life of the Christian example.-Zack Loesch

August 28, 2008

We were shocked and saddened to hear of Mr. Cox's passing. We were long time residents of Gloucester and patronized James Store, regularly. Not only did we pick up our mail, but we would sit and chat for hours with him and Rosemary. He will be greatly missed by all.......our condolences go out to the family.

Adam, Susan, Vermeire and daughters Vicki Jutras and Sherri Schenkelberg.

Diane Whitley-Grimes

August 28, 2008

Perry...Your dad was such a wonderful person. I remember fondly living next to James Store while we built our home. Running into his store and being greeted by your father and mother was the highlight of my days back then. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

Margaret Jones Perritt

August 28, 2008

I cannot imagine Gloucester without Willis Cox.....
My thoughts are with his family. Please know that we are grateful for all he did for the County.

Richie Ashburn

Matt Paust

August 28, 2008

I first met Willis in his store at James Store, when, as a newspaper reporter always looking for a good story, I stopped in to ask about an unusual marquee sign out front. The store itself was a little museum of unusual relics, many of them baseball oriented and many of those of Philadelphia Phillies vintage, and when Willis began his stories about each item I noticed, I knew I had stumbled upon a living treasure.

The man was a marvelous storyteller. Many of his tales eventually ended up in his books, but to read them comes in a distant second to hearing them from the master himself. I made many visits to the James Store Store until he sold it, and then I mourned the loss of a diversion that had become a habit for me whenever I found myself traveling along Route 14 on an assignment.

To my delight, Willis soon turned up as a Wal-Mart greeter, and there I could continue prodding him for stories (not that he needed much prodding) and exchanging jokes and baseball gossip. Baseball was the only topic Willis gossiped about. Having been a serious politician in his younger years, you'd think talking politics would come naturally, and with it, gossiping about the people involved. But one thing about Willis I shall never forget is that I never heard a bad word from him about another human being be it a politician, a known scalawag or anyone else -- not even a baseball player! He was as good-hearted a person as I've ever known, and his passing has left for me a painful void.

Kimberly Allen

August 28, 2008

Mr. Willis was such a dear, sweet man. My heart goes out to his family in this time of grief. I will keep them in my prayers.

The Proctor Family

August 28, 2008

Willis was a wonderful, friendly man. We are sure he will be missed greatly. We used to live near him years ago on Burkes Pond Road and remember fondly meeting him for the first time.
You all are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for your family.

Robin Hilling

August 28, 2008

I am so sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Cox. We met him 22 years ago when he was Postmaster at James Store and continued our friendship when seeing him at Wal Mart. He was such an interesting man who put the love of his family above all else. He was a fluent conversationalist and never failed to ask about each member of our family. He knew everyone's name, the interests of each child, and where each child was and what they did as they grew up. It was absolutely amazing. I feel blessed to have known him and he will be greatly missed by his community.

Jean Midyette

August 28, 2008

Perri, I am so sorry to hear of your Dads passing. I remember him at James Store when we went for a visit in nursing school. He was a lovely gentleman.
Jean Gilbert Midyette

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