John E. Cox

John Eugene (Gene) Cox Obituary
October 17, 1947 – January 26, 2025
A Celebration of Life Visitation for Gene Cox will be held at 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturday. February 15, at Byrd and Flanagan Crematory and Funeral Service, 288 Hurricane Shoals Rd., NE, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. His interment will be a the Georgia National Cemetery where all veterans are interred in Canton, GA,
where his late brother Robert Michael (Mike) Cox (USMC) is also interred at a later date.
John Eugene (Gene) Cox of Monroe, GA, passed away January 26, 2025, at the age of 77. Born October 17, 1947, in Greenwood, SC, to John Paul Cox and Annie Kate Holley, he grew up in Decatur, GA, and graduated from Gordon High School (now McNair Middle School) in Decatur, GA, in 1965. Immediately after graduating high school, he was employed by WETV-TV (now WABE-TV) from 1965 to 1991. From 1967 to 1971, he left WETV to serve in the US Air Force where he was stationed in Iwakuni, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea, during the Vietnam War. He helped build a broadcast facility from the ground up in Iwakuni along with USMC soldiers (he was the only USAF soldier). He then was an announcer for the facility and then became a part of a children's show where he served as a "space cadet," When he would go in town, little children would "mob him" as they thought he was a big TV star. He was honorably discharged in 1971, although he was ill and finally determined to be a disabled veteran at age 24. He returned to WETV after recovery and continued to work as an audio engineer, announcer, cameraman, producer, and director. He was hired by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1991 where he was instrumental in building the broadcast facility there so that myriad instructional videos could be produced. He was part of many of those productions as he was deployed all over the country to produce and direct them. He retired from CDC in 2006. Gene was a man of many interests and talents. In his youth, he loved to race cars. He even would take apart an engine, put it back together, and race it the following day. He had many fast cars throughout his life. He was also an avid musician. He played drums and served in several bands, the last of which was MOTH (Men Over The Hill). He also enjoyed doing magic tricks and entertained family and friends often. He was a funny guy and always had something funny to say.
He is preceded in death by his mother and father, and his younger brother Robert Michael (Mike) Cox.
He is survived by his wife, Joanne Hurley Cox; sister-in-law, Deborah Howell Cox; niece, Traci Parsons (Mike); niece Shanna Borders (Eric); niece Kristina Corbett; nephew, Devon Corbett (Carrie); brother-in-law, Robert Hurley; sister-in- law, Marsha Sharp (Mike); niece Kalen Vanderhorst (Barry); and grandnephews, Austin Roberts, Nathan Sharp, Rylan Borders, Cooper Corbett; and grandnieces Tayve Borders, Kensley Vanderhorst, Emry Borders, Annabelle Corbett, and Macie Von Kalben.
Byrd and Flanagan Crematory & Funeral Services, Lawrenceville, Georgia, is in charge of the arrangements. 770-962-2200.
If you wish to honor Gene with a memorial gift, the family recommends supporting other disabled veterans at DAV.org
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