Elmer Eugene Cox (Gene Cox), beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on Saturday, the 30th of October, 2021.

He was born in Newtown on February 6, 1943, to Elmer Cox and Lydia Belle (Delancy) Cox. He grew up in Newtown, where he was active in Boy Scouts and Explorers, achieving the rank of Life Scout. After graduating from Newtown High School in 1961, he studied business at the University of Connecticut (UConn) while in the ROTC. There he was active in the Theta Zi Fraternity. He graduated college in May 1966. In February 1967 he married his high school sweetheart, Corinne Francis Lemb. Shortly thereafter, he entered the army with the rank of second lieutenant and deployed to Vietnam as a part of the 11th Signal Group Stratcom as a radio engineer. While in Vietnam Gene received: Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal.

After his return from Vietnam in 1968, he was stationed at Fort Huachuca in Arizona for a year. Corinne has fond memories of their time there and the cross-country road trip they undertook when he left the military and they were returning to New England. Gene retired from the Army as a captain.

They settled in Monson, Mass., where he worked for Exxon as a district sales representative covering Connecticut, and completed his MBA. Over the next decade they lived in Monson, West Hartford and Higganum, Conn., before returning to live in Newtown in the mid-1980s.

After leaving Exxon around the same time, Eugene joined his father-in-law, Carl Lemb, running a wine import business, The Winemakers Distributors. He also later sold insurance for Prudential and worked as an aide in his wife’s classroom. From 1991 to the late 2000s, he and his son, Aaron, ran a painting and carpentry business.

Throughout his life, Gene was very involved in Boy Scouts. He was a member of Troop 70 as a child, during the time that it was run by Reverend Paul Cullens. Gene fondly spoke of ski trips to Canada with Rev Cullens. As an adult, he was an active parent-leader, and for many years the Scoutmaster of Troop 70 in Newtown. He loved the outdoors and led many camping, hiking, canoeing, rafting, and other trips. He braved weather ranging from sweltering heat to subzero cold as he camped 12 months of the year many times. He was also an active member of the board of Cullens Youth Association, which manages the Cullens Memorial youth outdoor activity facility near Taunton Lake.

Gene was a member of the Bridgewater Congregational Church, and was very involved in church life. Gene was a member of the choir for a number of years. He also served as a deacon. Gene loved helping at all church functions and could be found at the church booth at the Country Fair, or helping sell treasures at the tag sale, or cooking massive amounts of baked ziti for trunk or treat or huge pots of chili for Mardi Gras.

Beyond Gene’s love of Boy Scouts and Cullens Memorial, his passion for the outdoors extended to hunting and fishing. Gene was a good marksman, an NRA firearms-safety instructor, and enjoyed hunting in his youth. Right up to his death he enjoyed spending time watching his grandkids target practice. On the water, Gene’s true love was bass fishing. He spent many summer vacations with his lifelong friends, George Carlson and Paul Sedor, fishing in Lake Champlain. Gene reveled in catching largemouth on a weedless worm, or even better, watching a small-mouth attack a rapala.

During 2017, Eugene and Corinne had temporary custody of their grandson, Rohan, who was 9 at the time, while his father, Bruce, was deployed with the Air Force in Qatar. This was a special time for all of them.

Eugene is survived by his wife of 54 years, Corinne; his son and daughter-in-law, Aaron and Amy Cox, of Newtown; his son, Bruce Cox, of Oakwood, Ohio; and four beloved grandchildren, Lydia, Hannah, Hunter, and Rohan.

Friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown on Saturday, November 13, from 4 to 6 pm. Interment in Huntingtown Cemetery, Newtown will be private. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, November 27, at 2 pm in the Bridgewater Congregational Church, 10 Clapboard Road, Bridgewater.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cullens Youth Association, PO Box 323, Newtown CT 06470.