Mom, a very simple little word. Just three letters, but when examined over the course of one’s life there are simply no words, big or little, that can fairly or fully define the meaning of those three letters to those she loved and that loved her.
“Mom” is defined in the dictionary as “a female parent.” In the business world it is an acronym for one in charge of “Management, Operations and Maintenance.” Patricia Ann (“Patty”) Cox (October 3, 1937-June 6, 2022) was both and so much more. Patty was 84 years of age when she passed on June 6, 2022, after a brief hospitalization.
Patty was born in Washington Court House, Ohio to Henry and Lucille (Patterson) Litz. She had one brother, Charles (Sally) Litz of Topeka, Kansas, who predeceased her. Patty attended Washington High School where she met and then married Charles G. (“Charlie”) Cox (deceased May 9, 2021). Patty and Charlie were married on February 15, 1953, and remained lifelong friends even after their divorce later in their lives. They had four children, Dawne Arlene (Randy) Angel, Deborah Lynn Cox (Greg) Roush, Garth Glenn (Cindy) Cox and Teresa Marie Cox (Jeffrey) Hickey.
Patty was the true definition of a “mom.” She was loving, caring, strict at times when needed, and truly the one in charge of the management, operations and maintenance of the Cox household and family. Patty was also the “neighborhood mom” to so many of her children’s friends. She was active in the lives of her family and friends as well as her church, the South Side Church of Christ in Washington Court House and later Bay Life Church in Tampa. Florida.
Together Patty and Charlie, with the help of the family and many others, built one of the nation’s largest food and beverage special events companies, Concessions by Cox, Inc. Patty became “mom” to hundreds of employees that became part of the “Cox team” and worked for the company over the many years during which she was actively involved. It is this work that brought Patty to Florida in 1990. Patty resided in Tampa and later Riverview, where she and her fifth “child” and constant companion, Henry, a Yorkshire Terrier, resided at the time of her passing.
Patty loved her family and was deeply loved by each of them. She is survived by her children, sons-in-law and daughter-in-law. Additional family members include 9 grandchildren, Travis (Brandi) Warner, Sonia (Dennis) Haithcock, Katelyn (Christian) Roush-Cooper, Brian (Amanda) Roush, Jason (Julie) Cox, Amanda Shaw, Townsend Cox, Morgan Scott, Jessie Hickey; 18 great-grandchildren, Abby, Jake and Charli Warner, Audrey and Jack Charpentier, Raven and Raleigh Haithcock, Sophia, MacKenzie, Zack, Harper, Gracie and Aubrey Roush, Landon and Baylee Snyder, Mackenzie and Charlotte “Charli” Cox, and Zoey Scott; and numerous nieces and nephews. Patty is also survived by her dear friend and neighbor, Judy Harmyk.
A memorial service for Patricia Cox will be held on June 28, 2022, at the Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home, 2323 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida, beginning with visitation at 5:00 pm and a service at 6:00 p.m. There will be additional service and calling hours on July 2, 2022, beginning at 11:00 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 12:00 p.m., at the Kirkpatrick Funeral Home, 554 Washington Ave., Washington Court House, Ohio. An inurnment will follow at the Washington Memorial Cemetery, 1741 Washington Ave., Washington Court House, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Bay Life Church/Missions, 1017 Kingsway Rd., Brandon, Florida 33510 or by accessing the church’s web site at baylife.org/give. Please access “global giving.”
www.kirkpatrickfuneralhome.com
