Obituary for Forrest Patrick Cox
Forrest Patrick Cox, born February 11, 1930, passed away Tuesday morning November 20, 2013, surrounded by family. Services will be Saturday morning, November 23, 2013. Burial with full Military Honors will be held at Altus Cemetery at 10:00 am with Rev. Johnny Morrow officiating. Celebration of the life of Forrest Cox will be held at Altus First United Methodist Church with Rev. David D. Player officiating at 11:00 am. Services are under the direction of Lowell-Tims Funeral Home of Altus.
Forrest "Fuzz" Cox, the second of five sons, was born at Lee City, Kentucky, to Marcum C. Cox and Louise (Arnett) Cox. Forrest"s parents were tenant farmers who settled in Jessamine County in 1946. In 1948, Forrest graduated from Wilmore High School in Wilmore, Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky two years before enlisting in the United States Air Force on August 31, 1951.
Forrest was assigned to Altus Air Force Base in November 1953 and arrived in Altus in January, 1954. Forrest worked in 96th Air Refueling Squadron. He and his outstanding crew were selected to fly the new KC-135 and entered training at Castle AFB, CA in March 1958.
While stationed at Altus, Forrest met Patsy McLeod, secretary in 96th Bomb Wing Command Section. They married on April 20, 1963 at Altus First United Methodist Church. They had three children: Voyt "Skipper" William Cox, Teresa "Terri" (Cox) Redding, and Mark Patrick Cox.
Forrest was assigned to Chatteauroux Air Base, France, and Mildenhall Air Base, England, from 1965 to 1968, while he was flying for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Airborne Command Post. In 1968-1969, Forrest piloted B-57s out of Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam and was later reassigned to fly as a part of the Airborne Command Post from Udorn Air Base, Thailand, until March 1970. Forrest earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals while flying B-57s in combat. He returned to Altus Air Force Base in March 1970 to fly KC-135s and retired August 31, 1971.
Forrest Cox entered a partnership with two other retired military officers to buy Altus Laundry and Cleaners. He later bought out his partners and owned and operated the Laundry until 1999 when his daughter Terri and son-in-law Jim Redding took over the business.
Forrest served two terms as president of the Oklahoma Drycleaners Association. He was a member of the Southwest Drycleaners Board of Directors for several years, the International Fabricare Institute from 1971 until 1999, and the Altus Chamber of Commerce, and served one term on the chamber board of directors. Forrest was on the Metropolitan Planning Commission for about ten years and was appointed to the Airport Advisory Board. He belongs to the First United Methodist Church and served as a member and chairman of the Pastor Parrish Relations Committee and a member and chairman of the administrative board. He has belonged to the Altus Military Affairs Committee since 1971 and has been a member of Altus Rotary Club since 1971, serving as president in 1975-76. He chaired Youth Exchange for about twenty-five years. Forrest was presented the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of safe flying by the FAA at Altus Quartz Mountain Regional in August 2012.
Forrest was preceded in death by parents Louise and Marcum C. Cox, brothers Marcum Jr., Ronald and Linville, and son Skip. He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Patsy; daughter Terri and husband Jim Redding; son Mark and wife Missey Cox; grandchildren Whitney and husband J.T. Messick, Tyler and wife Amanda Redding, Austin and Emily Cox; great-grandchildren Addisyn, Camdyn, and Cooper Messick; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to Jackson County Memorial Hospital Hospice, FUMC Altus, and Rotary International.
The family will greet friends at Lowell-Tims Funeral Home from 6-7 p.m., Friday evening, November 22, 2013. Online tributes may be made to the family at www.Lowell-Tims.com
11/22/2013
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Visitation
Lowell-Tims Chapel
1100 East Tamarack Road
Altus
OK
73521
11/23/2013
11:00 AM
Funeral
First United Methodist
317 N. ,Main
Altus
OK
73521
Read More
Forrest "Fuzz" Cox, the second of five sons, was born at Lee City, Kentucky, to Marcum C. Cox and Louise (Arnett) Cox. Forrest"s parents were tenant farmers who settled in Jessamine County in 1946. In 1948, Forrest graduated from Wilmore High School in Wilmore, Kentucky. He attended the University of Kentucky two years before enlisting in the United States Air Force on August 31, 1951.
Forrest was assigned to Altus Air Force Base in November 1953 and arrived in Altus in January, 1954. Forrest worked in 96th Air Refueling Squadron. He and his outstanding crew were selected to fly the new KC-135 and entered training at Castle AFB, CA in March 1958.
While stationed at Altus, Forrest met Patsy McLeod, secretary in 96th Bomb Wing Command Section. They married on April 20, 1963 at Altus First United Methodist Church. They had three children: Voyt "Skipper" William Cox, Teresa "Terri" (Cox) Redding, and Mark Patrick Cox.
Forrest was assigned to Chatteauroux Air Base, France, and Mildenhall Air Base, England, from 1965 to 1968, while he was flying for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Airborne Command Post. In 1968-1969, Forrest piloted B-57s out of Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam and was later reassigned to fly as a part of the Airborne Command Post from Udorn Air Base, Thailand, until March 1970. Forrest earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medals while flying B-57s in combat. He returned to Altus Air Force Base in March 1970 to fly KC-135s and retired August 31, 1971.
Forrest Cox entered a partnership with two other retired military officers to buy Altus Laundry and Cleaners. He later bought out his partners and owned and operated the Laundry until 1999 when his daughter Terri and son-in-law Jim Redding took over the business.
Forrest served two terms as president of the Oklahoma Drycleaners Association. He was a member of the Southwest Drycleaners Board of Directors for several years, the International Fabricare Institute from 1971 until 1999, and the Altus Chamber of Commerce, and served one term on the chamber board of directors. Forrest was on the Metropolitan Planning Commission for about ten years and was appointed to the Airport Advisory Board. He belongs to the First United Methodist Church and served as a member and chairman of the Pastor Parrish Relations Committee and a member and chairman of the administrative board. He has belonged to the Altus Military Affairs Committee since 1971 and has been a member of Altus Rotary Club since 1971, serving as president in 1975-76. He chaired Youth Exchange for about twenty-five years. Forrest was presented the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of safe flying by the FAA at Altus Quartz Mountain Regional in August 2012.
Forrest was preceded in death by parents Louise and Marcum C. Cox, brothers Marcum Jr., Ronald and Linville, and son Skip. He is survived by his wife of fifty years, Patsy; daughter Terri and husband Jim Redding; son Mark and wife Missey Cox; grandchildren Whitney and husband J.T. Messick, Tyler and wife Amanda Redding, Austin and Emily Cox; great-grandchildren Addisyn, Camdyn, and Cooper Messick; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers the family request that memorials be made to Jackson County Memorial Hospital Hospice, FUMC Altus, and Rotary International.
The family will greet friends at Lowell-Tims Funeral Home from 6-7 p.m., Friday evening, November 22, 2013. Online tributes may be made to the family at www.Lowell-Tims.com
11/22/2013
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Visitation
Lowell-Tims Chapel
1100 East Tamarack Road
Altus
OK
73521
11/23/2013
11:00 AM
Funeral
First United Methodist
317 N. ,Main
Altus
OK
73521
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