Gary L. Cox, 84, of Stuart, FL and Mattapoisett, MA, and beloved husband of Marie, died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on July 16, 2024.
Born in Havre, MT, on May 9, 1940, Gary was the son of the late Glenn Logan Cox and Virginia Rosila (Merklin) Cox.
A graduate of Havre High School, Gary entered the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) Program in 1958 and graduated from University of Michigan in 1962 with a degree in History. He went on to earn a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1966.
During his time at Harvard, Gary met the love of his life, Marie (Sullivan). They married in June of 1966 in Framingham, MA, and together experienced a lifetime of adventure and travel.
Commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer in 1962, Gary proudly completed his service as a Lieutenant Commander in 1969.
Upon completing his naval service, Gary entered a profession he both loved and excelled in: international banking.
His work took him and his family from Baltimore, MD, to Boston, MA, then to Paris, London, Geneva, the Bahamas and finally stateside again, to New York City.
While abroad, Gary mastered French, learned to ski (at age 40!), took up golf and taught us that experiencing history and culture is the only way to truly understand the world around us.
In his retirement, Gary was not one to sit still for long. He spent over a decade teaching online political science courses at Southern New Hampshire University, as well as remote classes at the University of Colorado Graduate School of Banking. All the while, he continued to hone his golf skills at the Bay Club in Mattapoisett and later at the Yacht and Country Club in Stuart, FL. Although Stuart became the couple’s permanent home, “Papa” and “Mimi” have always spent summers up in Massachusetts to be closer to family and dear friends.
As anyone who knew Gary will attest, he was an “incorrigible punster,” humble and kind, with an engaging sense of humor, a lifelong love of learning and a passion for great food and wine. Perpetually positive, he was a man who lived life for others, gave freely, cared deeply and was generous beyond compare.
Gary is survived by his wife, Marie; their three children, Jeffrey Cox and his wife Nicole of Rochester, NY, Jeanne Connon and her husband, Mark, of Mattapoisett, and Christine Lucy and her husband, John, of Mattapoisett; their eight cherished grandchildren: Isa and Sophia Cox; Henry and his wife Colleen, Sam and Emily Connon; and Jack, Thomas and William Lucy; his siblings Virgil Glenn Cox and his wife Patricia of Gastonia, NC, and Bonnie Lee (Cox) Compton of Helena, MT; along with numerous and devoted brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and treasured friends from far and wide, including Bob and Linn Sullivan of Mattapoisett and Dick and Georgia Sullivan of Salt Lake City, UT.
The family will be receiving guests from 10 – 11 a.m. on Monday, July 29th at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.
A memorial service will be held on site at 11am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gary’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association
For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
