William Cox

PENNINGTON… Bill Cox, one month shy of his 80th birthday, died at his home in Pennington, NJ, on July 21, 2018, from multiple myeloma. He had fought this cancer for two years, with both medical treatments and a well-honed sense of humor.

Bill was born in 1938 into a world about to enter a war. FDR was the president and minimum wage was 44 cents an hour. His father was a milkman, while his mother was a homemaker who raised five children. A product of Trenton public schools, Bill went on to receive degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University, New York University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Russian history. Supported by a Hayes-Fulbright fellowship, he spent a year in Paris, along with his family, doing his doctoral research. As a professor, he taught at Boston College, Lafayette College, and Elmira College.

Bill was a natural teacher and scholar; as a professor he guided and inspired many young students. Later in life, as he came to appreciate the connectedness and miracle of all living things, he mentored adults in the concept of Big History. A consummate reader, he remained curious throughout his life. In the early 70s, he left academia and moved with his wife and three young children to a rural homestead in Jasper, NY. There, he taught himself how to be a subsistence farmer and steward of the land on 110 windswept acres. In addition to tending livestock and crops, he rebuilt the 1848 Greek revival farmhouse from foundation to roof, teaching himself wiring, plumbing, carpentry and masonry along the way. The family home was heated by wood that Bill cut in his own woods, and he replenished this wood lot by planting hundreds of fir seedlings with his children. In addition to his commitments to the farm, he also served the local community; he was president of a board of education, a youth center, and a Rotary club. In 2001, Bill and Nancy returned to their roots in Trenton and surrounding area to enjoy the company of their family. Bill was also more than happy to return to his beloved ocean.

Son of the late William S. and Joyce Woodward Cox, Bill is survived by siblings, Marcia Means (Mel), Richard Cox (Gail), Jeffrey Cox (Judy), and Sharyne Ziebarth (Bob). He leaves behind his wife, Nancy Medoff Cox; children, Jessica Heller, Alexander Cox (Andrea), and Jonas Cox (Christine); former son-in-law, Richard Heller, and grandchildren, Sophie, Mollie, Emilia, Quincy, Olivia and Jasper. The only thing Bill loved longer than Nancy, his wife of 57 years, was the Boston Red Sox. The former produced three children; the latter, countless disappointments in October.

In remembrance of Bill, he would want you to read “Under Milkwood,” by Dylan Thomas, while enjoying a glass of red wine. He would also encourage you, while in public places, to make a small but meaningful gesture: say hello to a disenfranchised person in your midst. If desired, donations may be sent to Dr. Carlyn Tan, Multiple Myeloma Dept., Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111.