A beloved educator who left a legacy in three counties will be laid to rest in the Vaiden Hill Baptist Church Cemetery on Saturday.
Mrs. Patricia Cox, 62 of Kilmichael, dedicated her life to educating young people as she spent more than 30 years teaching, according to her obituary.
She molded minds in the Montgomery County School District as a Special Education teacher and then principal of Montgomery County Elementary School in Kilmichael.
Mrs. Cox later educated teens at J.Z. George High School in North Carrollton and the Leflore Legacy Academy in Greenwood, according to her obituary.
A close friend of Mrs. Cox, Dorothy Woods, stated she began her career as an educator in August 1985 in Kilmichael and served the school district until it closed in 2018.
She joined the faculty of J.Z. George in January 2020 just before the Covid-19 pandemic, and she began working with students in the Greenwood school in 2022, Woods stated.
“Pat was a pillar of the community; she was a mother to all the children, not only children but some adults who she came in contact with and to her church, Piney Grove M. B. Church. There she served in many capacities. Pat was a diligent worker, skillful in so many areas,” stated Woods. “She was smart and intelligent, could pass any test that was given to her.”
Mrs. Cox confessed her faith in Christ at an early age by joining Vaiden Hill M.B. Church in Vaiden. She later joined Piney Grove M. B. Church in Stewart, where she dedicated a life-long service to the Lord. In her walk with the Lord, she served in various roles such as Sunday school teacher, secretary and treasurer, according to her obituary.
“Pat consoled many families in time of bereavements. She cooked food, and whatever she could do in her power, and she did it. She was a counselor to many, always giving good advice to all. She loved people with a passion,” stated Woods.
Mrs. Cox was a member of The Winona Senior Citizen Club and served as chairman of the Food Committee, according to Woods. She was active in Girl Scouts and community volunteer work.
“Patricia touched and impacted the lives of countless students and left an impressionable mark on her community,” the obituary stated.
Before stepping into a career where she molded minds and laid a strong foundation for numerous young people, Mrs. Cox graduated from Vaiden High School in 1977. She then earned a degree in Home Economics and a specialist degree in Special Education at Mississippi State University in Starkville and completed additional coursework for the Educational Leadership program at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, according to her obituary.
Mrs. Cox died at Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona on Aug. 22 surrounded by loved ones.
She was born on Sept. 15, 1960, to the late Minnie and John Roberts in Winona, and she married David L. Cox Sr. in 1981, the obituary stated.
The couple had three sons, David Lynn Cox Jr., Johnathan Lindsey Cox and Christopher Patrick Cox Sr., according to the obituary.
Mrs. Cox was preceded in death by her parents, Minnie and John Roberts; her brother, John Pittman; and two sisters, Donnie Woods and Annie Lue Woods.
Mrs. Cox is survived by her husband, David Lynn Cox Sr.; three sons, David Lynn (Sheena) Cox Jr., of Winona, Johnathan Lindsey (Adraine) Cox of Oxford, and Christopher Patrick (Dominique) Cox Sr. of New Albany; three brothers, Clyde Roberts of Winona, Lawrence (Vera) Roberts and Gilbert (Juanita) Roberts, both of Cleveland, Ohio; five sisters, Mary McCaskill of Broadview, Ill., Joyce Collins of Clinton, Miss., Katie Ervin, Elease (John) Winfrey, and Linda McSwine, all of Kilmichael; five grandsons, Ahmad Robinson, David L. Cox III, Ashton Cox, Christopher P. Cox Jr., and Austin Cox; two granddaughters, Jada Cox and Jade Cox; two special friends, Dorothy Woods and Jean Morgan, and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends, according to the obituary.
A viewing will be held for Mrs. Cox from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Roberts and Sons Mortuary in Winona. The funeral service will be at the J.Z. George High School gymnasium in North Carrollton at 11 a.m. on Sept. 2. Burial will follow in the Vaiden Hill Baptist Church cemetery and repast will be at Zion District Building in Winona, stated Johnathan Cox.
