Alice Jane Perrin Cox

Alice Jane Perrin Cox Jan. 24, 1929 - Dec. 1, 2007 Born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, "A.J." often told wonderful stories of growing up during the Depression with her cab-driver father, hard-working mother, two lively younger sisters and trusty mutt, Monty. She attended UC Berkeley and received her Masters of Social Work. After meeting William Cox at the First Congregational Church's Young Business and Professionals Group, they married in 1953 and moved to Massachusetts where their two daughters, Amy Louise and Carolyn Lee were born. Delighted to escape the snow, the family moved back to Santa Clara, CA and Alice began working part-time for the Freedom From Hunger Foundation. Later, she was hired to teach in the new field of English as a Second Language for the Metropolitan Adult Education Department where she taught for over 30 years and was nominated for California Teacher of the Year in 1994. With her energy, creativity and verve, Alice's ESL classes were both fun and thought-provoking as she strove to build a "mini-United Nations". In addition to raising her two daughters, Alice cared for two foster sons, Sam Ung and Danh Ho, and also hosted many foreign exchange students. Throughout her adult life, Alice and her beloved husband of 54 years worked tirelessly to get the U.S. out of Vietnam, end the threat of nuclear war, protect the environment, and promote social justice. They received a Human Relations Award from Santa Clara County in 2006. Fittingly, Alice passed away suddenly while accompanying Bill on an errand for the San Jose Peace Center. She is missed by her entire extended family including her four grandchildren, her former students, and her colleagues in education and peace work. All are welcome to attend a memorial in honor of Alice's life on January 12, 2008 from 2:00PM to 4:00PM at the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, 160 North Third St. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be sent to the Collins Foundation , 48 South 7th St. San Jose, CA 95112. Johnson Funeral Home, Morgan Hill, serving the family.