Leigh Dennery Cox

Leigh Alexander Dennery Cox, 84, died February 19, 2007. Visitation is Friday, February 23, 2007, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. Additional visitation will be at Galloway United Methodist Church in Jackson, Saturday, February 24th at 1 p.m. with the funeral service beginning at 2 p.m. followed by burial at Lakewood Memorial Park.

Leigh was born January 30, 1923 in Natchez to Anna Clara Roberts and James Franklin Alexander. She attended school in Magee, Mississippi and graduated from Magee High School. Known to all in Simpson County as Callie Leigh, she was a cheerleader, drum major in the band, active in school plays, and sang in a girls quartet and her brother s orchestra. She attended Mississippi Southern College (now USM) in Hattiesburg. While working at the Western Union located across the street from the Mayflower Caf she met her future husband Nicholas John Dennery. At that time Nick was working for his brother, Alex Dennery, owner of the Rotisserie at Five Points. On June 28, 1943 they were married at the Galloway Methodist Church parsonage by Dr. Clovis Chapel During the first years of marriage the Dennery s lived in Pensacola, Florida where they owned and operated the Dixie Caf .

After the end of World War II the Dennery s, sold their restaurant and went to Glossa, Nick s home village on the island of Skopelos, Greece where the family spent nine months visiting Nick s relatives and friends.

They returned to the United States in 1948 and founded Dennery s Seafood House, now known as Dennery s Restaurant in Jackson. Leigh and Nick worked side by side in the business that flourished. In 1978 after 35 years of married life, her husband Nick died.

After Nick s death Leigh would sometimes represent Dennery s Restaurant at Mississippi Restaurant Association meetings filling in for son, John. She was nicknamed the Velvet Hammer by Bill Latham for her firm, yet polite words, on the importance of unity within the association.

In 1989 Leigh married Forrest Cox, newscaster at WLBT. Their favorite pastimes were fishing, traveling and watching grandchildren grow up. They enjoyed nine married years together prior to Forrest s untimely passing in 1998.

Leigh has been a kidney dialysis patient since 1994, under the loving care of Dr. Marcello Ruvinsky who often referred to Leigh as the Clinic s Cheerleader because of her positive spirit and encouragement to new patients. The family wishes to express their appreciation and thanks to the team of nurses and staff at Fresenius Medical Care of North Jackson, St. Dominic Hospital and staff, Sister Dorothea and the Sisters of the Dominican Order and Leigh s devoted aides, Vickie Rucker and Ella Cain who have all helped to give her many quality years of life. During these last months their untiring and loving care has been more than a blessing.

She was a member of Galloway Memorial United Methodist, where she was active in the Ben Fatheree Sunday School Class and the United Methodist Women. A member of the Eastern Star, she was also past president of the Pierian Club and the Concordia Luncheon Club.

Mrs. Cox was preceded in death by her mother Anna Clara Roberts, father James Franklin Alexander, step-father Eugene Rex Walker, husbands Nicholas John Dennery and Alva Forrest Cox and brother, James Franklin Alexander, Jr. She is survived by her daughter Anna Dennery McDonald and her husband, Eric; her son John Nicholas Dennery and his wife Laura, of Jackson; six grandchildren, David Leigh Meadows, Jr. and his wife Tammy of Grenada, Sean Enfield Meadows, and George Eric Nicholas McDonald of Clinton; Nicole Dennery Brien and her husband, Patrick of Roswell, Georgia; Christina Dennery Hester and her husband Len of Memphis, Tennessee; and Nicholas John Dennery, II of Jackson; great- grandchildren; Leeanna Constance Meadows, Jesse Ray Meadows, David Lee Meadows of Grenada.

Memorials may be made to Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church or to the Mississippi Kidney Foundation. Name of Deceased City Bio