Norman Glen Cox

Norman Glen Cox

October 30, 1929 - March 1, 2026

Longtime Bay Area resident Norman Cox passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026 in Pleasant Hill, California, following a brief illness. He was 96.

Norman was born in Oregon City, Oregon. His father Andrew Cox was originally from Idaho, and his mother Beatrice Campbell was from Texas. During the 1930s the family resided in West Oakland. Despite the tough economics of the time, Norman always said he and his sister Lois enjoyed a good childhood there.

In the 1940s, Andy, Bea, Sister, and Sonny moved to a new home in Richmond, California. Norman was graduated from Richmond Union High School and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Business at Contra Costa Junior College, newly opened in the abandoned Kaiser shipyards. While a student there, he met his future wife Joyce Fylstra of Minnesota. He loved sharing stories of how he would try and get her attention around campus, or while she was taking tickets at a local movie theater.

Norman and Joyce married in 1951 and purchased a house in Concord that would be home for seventy years. They had two daughters, Brenda and Teresa. The couple shared an interest in music and art, building a large record collection together, and visiting Bay Area art museums through the years. They were avid readers, and books continued to fill their shelves. These interests passed naturally to their children.

Norman worked ten years for Trailmobile Truck Trailers as a cost accountant, and was involved in the pioneering Matson containerization program. He then spent ten years with Blue Chip Stamps in Richmond as accounting office manager. When people eventually stopped pasting trading stamps into booklets, he joined Crocker Bank in San Francisco in 1971 as a traveling bank examiner. After Crocker was acquired by Wells Fargo Bank, he worked many years in various roles with Wells Fargo in Walnut Creek, primarily in auto finance.

After a lifetime of hard work, retirement was an opportunity to study and enjoy some of his favorite things. He joined a local photography club, entering contests and winning several awards. A longtime film buff, he took night classes in film at Diablo Valley College, and also pursued creative writing. He and Joyce, along with her parents, her brother, and her sister-in-law, took relaxing vacations in Hawaii, and explored family roots in Minnesota. His beloved wife Joyce passed away in 1996.

In time, his daughters suggested he do some more traveling. He decided to see Scotland in 2000 with an adult travel group. There he met widow Joy Loveday of St. George, Utah. While each continued to live in their own homes near their families, they became close companions for twenty years, and enjoyed traveling extensively both in the US and abroad. Both Norman and Joy were volunteers at their local libraries.

After Joy's passing, Norman continued to live independently at home in Concord. He enjoyed membership in SIR, a senior men's social club. He was a member of the California Historical Radio Society, and wrote several articles, both online and in print, about old radio programs.

His daughter Teresa, who had lived locally in Concord, passed away in 2019 following an injury and long illness. Norman continued to have frequent, often extended visits by his daughter Brenda and her husband Paul Giguere of San Diego. They enjoyed Thanksgiving and the Christmas season together prior to the onset of his illness. Paul and Brenda remained in town and were with him up until and including the day of his passing.

An outgoing person, Norman touched the lives of many, including friends of his daughters who themselves became like family members. One of his most important friendships was with his brother-in-law, John Fylstra. The two enjoyed talking about current events, family memories, and the occasional tall tale shared with a dose of humor. Norman stated on numerous occasions that he greatly appreciated having such a wonderful family, and how fortunate he was to enjoy a long life surrounded by good people.

A celebration of the life of Norman Cox will be held at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette, California on Friday March 27, 2026, at 11 AM