Elizabeth COX

COX, Elizabeth Austin, 100, of Richmond, died Friday, December 3, 2010. Born March 14, 1910 in Brattleboro, Vt., she was a daughter of the late John Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Roder Austin. She was predeceased by her husband of 57 years, Elbert Cox; and her sister, Madlyn Austin Fagan of Burlington, Vt. She is survived by her sister, Gertrude Austin Bray of New Britain, Conn.; and two sons, Elbert Thomas Cox and his wife, Virginia K. of Poquoson, Va., and John Terry Cox and his wife, Julia McNair, of Tar Heel, N.C.; six grandchildren, Elizabeth, Katherine Read and her husband, Ryan, Ann Stuart, Charles and his wife, Sanders, Andrew and James Cox; and one great-granddaughter, Miller Cox. Mrs. Cox graduated from Brattleboro High School and Flora Stone Mather College, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland with a major in the Arts. After college she worked as a museum docent at the Newark Museum in Newark, N.J., and subsequently at Washington's Headquarters, Valley Forge National Historical Park in Morristown, N.J., where she met and married Elbert Cox. In 1946, they moved to Richmond. An avid gardener and talented floral designer, Mrs. Cox was a member of the Ginter Park Garden Club. She later served as President of the Richmond Council of Garden Clubs. She achieved the level of Master Judge of Flower Shows of the National Council of State Garden Clubs. In 1976, Mrs. Cox was honored to be Richmond Christmas Mother. A very active member of the Ginter Park Woman's Club, she was awarded Honorary Member status. She was also a member of The Woman's Club of Richmond and Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, December 11, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Brook Hill. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Richmond Christmas Mother Fund, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, Va. 23293-0001.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.