H.R. No. 503

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life came to an end with the passing of Loel Dene Cox of Comanche on January 25, 2015, at the age of 88; and

WHEREAS, L. D. Cox was born in Sidney on April 12, 1926, to Ottie and Olene Cox; he played football for Sidney High School, and immediately after graduating in 1944, he answered his nation's call to duty and enlisted in the U.S. Navy; and

WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Cox served as a Seaman 1st Class on the famed USS Indianapolis, and in March 1945, he survived a kamikaze attack on the ship during the battle for Okinawa; later that year, after the ship had delivered components for the first atomic bomb to the island of Tinian, it was sunk by a Japanese submarine, and in one of the worst tragedies in U.S. naval history, 880 men out of 1,197 died from drowning, starvation, or shark attack; as one of the 317 survivors, Mr. Cox received the Purple Heart; and

WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Cox resumed his education, and he earned an associate's degree from John Tarleton Agricultural College in 1947 and a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M University in 1948; he worked as a teacher for a year in San Angelo before settling near Comanche; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Cox was joined in matrimony to Sara Lou McCarroll in 1949, and they shared a rewarding marriage of 65 years until her death; together they were the parents of a son, Lowell, and later in life were blessed with a grandson, Jeff; and

WHEREAS, Starting in 1952, Mr. Cox worked for Moorman Manufacturing Company, and he soon became the sales manager for Texas and New Mexico, holding that position until he retired in 1984; he was also a member of the board of directors of Comanche National Bank for nearly five decades; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Cox was a member of the Church of Christ in Sidney, as well as the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the National Rifle Association, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans; he lived an active lifestyle, regularly traveling to stock shows, and he took pleasure in preparing his famous "two-song biscuits" for guests at his ranch, kneading the dough for as long as it took to sing two cowboy songs; and

WHEREAS, Through the years, Mr. Cox remained proud of his service on the Indianapolis, and he reunited each year with his fellow survivors in the city of Indianapolis to honor their lost shipmates; he was a popular public speaker, sharing his story with audiences around the nation and promoting the ideal of duty to one's community and country; in 2000, he and three other survivors appeared in a Discovery Channel documentary about a search for the lost ship; and

WHEREAS, A loving family man, an engaged citizen, and a patriotic veteran, L. D. Cox lived a long and remarkable life in which he experienced both tragedy and triumph, and he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Loel Dene Cox and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his son, Lowell Dean Cox II, and his wife, Terry; to his grandson, Jeff Lin; to his niece, Suzanne Heptner, and her husband, Jerry; to his nephew, Scott Brehm, and his wife, Minerba; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Loel Dene Cox.

Sheffield

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 503 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on March 12, 2015.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House