Joe Bradley Cox, Sr., of Dunwoody, GA, went to be with the Lord on December 10, 2015, at the age of 78 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease and other serious health complications.  Joe was born in Greenville, SC, on March 20, 1937, to John Abner Cox and Eva Wrenn Cox. 

 

Joe graduated with honors from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1959, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1963, and an Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Emory University in 1980. 

 

Joe excelled in academics and was involved with numerous honor societies.  He graduated in the top fifth of his class at Clemson, was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, as well as Phi Kappa Phi, the oldest honor society for all academic disciplines.  While studying at Georgia Tech, he was invited to become a member of The Society of The Sigma Xi, an international scientific research society.  While earning his Executive MBA at Emory, Joe was also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society for business students.

 

After graduating from Clemson, Joe joined aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas in Charlotte, NC.  There he worked as an engineer in the hydraulics division and worked for a time developing the guidance system for the Nike-Hercules missile.  While working at McDonnell Douglas, Joe left for six months to serve active duty for training as a Second Lieutenant and Reserve Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps at Ft. Eustis, VA. 

 

After returning to work at McDonnell Douglas, upon completion of his active duty for training, Joe returned to school to seek his master’s degree at Georgia Tech, where his focus was in the area of heat transfer.  Afterwards, he became more involved with missile design and the space industry while working as a Senior Research Engineer at Brown Engineering in Huntsville, AL, a firm working with the NASA Research Laboratories to build rocket engines.

 

During Joe’s time in Huntsville, he met and married his wife, Carolyn Boothe Cox, in Gonzales, TX, in 1965.  In 1966, Joe and Carolyn moved to Atlanta, GA, where Joe accepted a position at Gold Kist, Inc., a farmers’ co-operative.  A year later, he was promoted to Director of Engineering.  Joe worked at Gold Kist for over 30 years where he oversaw the design and construction of agricultural facilities across the Southeastern U.S. region. 

 

He was a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Florida and held a certificate from the National Council of Engineering Examiners (NCEE).  Joe was an active member of a number of professional engineering associations.  He was a life member of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers (GSPE), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).  He was also involved in the Georgia Engineering Foundation (GEF).

 

After retiring from Gold Kist in 1998, Joe followed a lifelong dream of working in the airline industry and took a retirement job at Delta Airlines as an aircraft mechanic where he worked actively for three years.  After 9/11, he took a voluntary leave of absence and a second post-retirement job working for three years as an Assistant Security Inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which transitioned into a role with the newly created Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  He officially retired from Delta in 2001 and the TSA in 2005.

 

Joe was a kind, humble, patient, and dedicated man with high integrity and moral character who cared for and mentored many.  He devoted his life to Jesus Christ and enjoyed studying the Bible.  He was a member of Dunwoody Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and youth Sunday school teacher and was a dedicated member of his men’s Sunday school class. Outside of church, he participated in the Atlanta Christian Businessmen’s Committee (CBMC).

 

He was passionate about private piloting and acquired the FAA Airmen Commercial Pilot Certification, with “airplane single engine land” (ASEL) and “instrument airplane” ratings, as well as the Mechanic Certification, with “airframe” and “power plant” (A&P) ratings.  He was a member of the Aircraft Owners’ and Pilots’ Association (AOPA), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).

 

In his mid-50’s, he discovered the joy of running and went on to complete the New York City (’93), Los Angeles (’95), and Boston ('96) marathons.  Joe was an avid college football fan and was found cheering for the Clemson Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets most Saturdays in the fall.

 

He was famous for incorporating flow charts into his everyday decision-making and was detail-oriented and always well-prepared for any task.  Folded crossword and jumble puzzles could often be found in Joe’s pockets, and he carried them until fully solved (usually with the help of innocent bystanders). 

 

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carolyn Boothe Cox, and their two children, Joe Bradley Cox, Jr. (Brad) of Atlanta, GA, and Susan Cox Westhof and her husband Christian of Denver, CO.  He had one granddaughter, Annie Joe Westhof, who was named in his honor.  He is also survived by his older brother, John Carroll Cox (Carroll) and Carroll’s wife Jo Evelyn of Spartanburg, SC, and his younger sister Sue Cox Burnett and her husband Wertz (Buddy) of Taylors, SC, along with many cousins, nieces, and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his parents. 

 

A graveside burial service will be held on Thursday, December 17, 2015, at 3:00 in the afternoon at the Gonzales Masonic Cemetery in Gonzales, TX.  Visitation will be held prior to the burial from 1:30-2:30 at Seydler Hill Funeral Home located at 906 Saint Paul Street, Gonzales, TX.  In case of rain, the service will be held in the Chapel at Seydler Hill.  For more information call 830-672-3232. 

 

A celebration of life service will be held on Wednesday, December 23, 2015, at 3:00 in the afternoon at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Dunwoody, GA.  Visitation will be held prior to the service from 2:00-3:00.  For more information call 770-280-1200.

 

Pallbearers will be Brad Cox, of Atlanta, GA, Robert Boothe, Jr., of Huntsville, AL, and Gonzales, TX, Barry Boothe of Gonzales, TX, Billy Boothe of Gonzales, TX, Christian Westhof of Denver, CO, and Stuart Rose of Hewitt, TX.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dunwoody Baptist Church (General Fund), 1445 Mount Vernon Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338.  The family is thankful for the kind and compassionate end-of-life care provided by William Breman Home and Agape Hospice.