Phyllis Cox

PHYLLIS COX, former Greenwich businesswoman, passed away Saturday, July 25, 2009 at Hospice House in Holland, Mich. She is survived by daughters, Jodi (Don) Heeringa of Holland and Patti Corr of Apollo Beach, Fla. and three grandsons, Jason Heeringa, R.P. Hite (Michele), and Tyler Hite. Phyllis Cox had an extraordinary life and career. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1917 and moved with her family to Muncie, Indiana, where she spent her early years. In 1935, after graduating from Muncie High, she moved to New York City, where she attended the Traphagen School of Fashion and later the Fashion Academy. After graduation, she was employed by Dorothy Draper, a famous interior designer of the era. In the meantime, her family had moved from Muncie to Holland, Mich. where her father joined the management of a heating and air conditioning company. On one of her visits to Holland, she met her future husband Eddie Landwehr. Soon after they were married and had two children, Jodi, and Patti. Phyllis and her family then moved to Greenwich at the suggestion of Dorothy Draper, where she opened an interior design business, which she ran for more than 25 years. She followed that career by opening a travel agency in Greenwich, taking advantage of the years of travel she had undertaken worldwide. It quickly grew to become one of the largest travel agencies in Greenwich, as Phyllis became known for her creative travel planning and managerial skills. Outside of her business, Phyllis served as a director of the Greenwich Women's Club, and became a trustee of the Temple of Understanding, a worldwide organization inspired by artist Judith Hollister and Eleanor Roosevelt, and which was devoted to developing an appreciation of religious and cultural diversity. In this capacity, Phyllis was asked to take an around the world tour to meet with leaders of other world religions, which she did in cities such as Bangkok, Tokyo, New Delhi and Istanbul. Phyllis was also something of a Renaissance woman, having learned to fly in the late 1930s, earning a pilot's license and owning her own plane, which she flew to various destinations around the country. She was also a collector of antique cars, holding onto two of them until about ten years ago. In addition, she was an accomplished photographer and a member of the Stamford (CT) Camera Club winning prizes many times in its slide competition. She also taught courses at the Greenwich YWCA on interior decoration. In 1980, now widowed, Phyllis attended the 45th reunion of her high school graduation class, and bumped into Robert M. Cox, also widowed, a high school sweetheart. A romance quickly blossomed and they were married shortly thereafter. Mr. Cox was executive vice president of In-Sink-Erator, a company that pioneered and led in the production of garbage disposers and hot water dispensers. After the marriage, Phyllis retired from her business and moved to Racine, Wis., where In-Sink-Erator was located. She traveled with Mr. Cox attending conventions of plumbing contractors, wholesalers, and kitchen and bath dealers and became an integral part of In-Sink's Erator's public relations program. When ISE employed Phyllis Diller to promote its disposers as "The Leftover Lover," the Coxes became fast friends with Diller and her husband and took several trips together. In 1992, Mr. Cox retired and he and Phyllis moved to Maui, Hawaii where they built their home in the Kapalua section of Maui. Mr. Cox passed away in 1999, and Phyllis remained at their home in Hawaii until 2005, when she returned to her roots in Holland, Mich. to be near her daughter, Jodi. She was a resident of Freedom Village until her death. To add to the extraordinary nature of her life, she was born on July 25, married on July 25 and died on July 25 at the age of 91. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., August 5 at Freedom Village in Holland. Memorials can be sent to Hospice of Holland.