Mack Joseph Cox

Mack Joseph Cox, 86, of Asheville, NC, passed away peacefully on August 17, 2019 after a brief illness. A man of character, Mack lived his life with a great sense of honor and duty, demonstrated by his unending devotion to his late wife of 67 years, Patricia “Pat” Stevens Cox, and the attentive and compassionate care he provided during her extended illness.
Mack was born in Asheville, NC on March 12, 1933, and grew up in Oakley. A high school athlete, he lettered in baseball, basketball and football, and was captain of the football team. After high school he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and served on the U.S.S. Herald, a minesweeper that patrolled the Mediterranean Sea for mines left over from WWII. Mack was a Seaman 2nd Class, Pipefitter, and Navy diver. Upon leaving the Navy, he joined the Asheville City Police Department as a police officer and attended Asheville-Biltmore Junior College and Western Carolina University. Mack left the police force to begin his career in private industry at Dupont in Brevard, NC, followed by 12 years at Taylor Instrument in Arden, NC, as Quality Assurance Manager, and later, as the Southeastern USA Sales Manager for Rhode Island-based Technic, Inc. After retiring in 2000, Mack was a consultant for Advance Chemical, also based out of Rhode Island.
During his retirement years, Mack didn’t rest on his laurels. He obtained his NC Real Estate Broker’s license and was President of the Crowfields Condo Association. He volunteered at Mission Hospital for 14 years, accruing more than 4,500 volunteer hours. He served as an usher at The Basilica of St. Lawrence, Catholic Church in Asheville, and at Our Lady of the Sea Catholic Church in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., and was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.
Along with his wife, Pat, he enjoyed traveling around the world, attending the Asheville Tourist Games in the summer and concerts at the Brevard Music Center. He supported the Asheville Arboretum and was an active member of the Democratic Party in Buncombe County. However, nothing brought him more joy than patrolling the waters of Lake Santeetlah in Western NC, in his pontoon boat, along with his beloved dachshund and first mate, Poochie.
Mack loved people and people loved Mack. He never met a stranger and was a strong advocate for those less fortunate than himself, always wanting to correct injustices. Mack had a generosity of spirit that set him apart as a natural leader and peacemaker. Gifted with a magnanimous personality and self-deprecating sense of humor, he charmed his family and friends for years with his antics, jokes and stories. For years, he was interested in theater and voice, performing as the Japanese Emperor in the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, The Mikado, in addition to several other musicals and Theater Asheville productions, and as a set designer. He also played the jailer in the movie, Thunder Road, starring Robert Mitchum, while he was on the police force.
Mack is predeceased by his wife, Patricia who died earlier this year. He is survived by his two children, Catherine Cox Dravis and husband Bernard of Huntersville, NC, and Joseph Mark Cox of Sharon, SC; granddaughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Dravis, and grandson, Brice Cox. He is also survived by his brother David Cox and wife Ginger of Easley, SC. Also surviving are his brother-in-law, Tom Stevens and wife Emilie of Durham NC, Charles Stevens and wife Gaye of Cumming, GA, and sister-in-law, Judith Burk and husband William of Greenville, SC. Also surviving are many beloved nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. He is preceded in death by his parents, Mark and Alma Todd Cox.
The family would like to offer special thanks to Mack’s loyal caregivers, Liz Jones and Yonna Jones, who took excellent care of both Mack and his wife in recent years; and Aretha Horne, Latrice Roland, and Helen Long who helped the family on extreme short notice the last week of Mack’s life.
One of the last things Mack said to his daughter in reflecting on his life “I’ve been lucky, God has really blessed me and this family.”
Visitation will be held on Sunday, September 1, 2019, from 6:00- 7:00 p.m. at Groce Funeral Home at 72 Long Shoals Road in Arden, NC. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 2, 2019, at The Basilica of St. Lawrence in Asheville, NC, followed by Interment Service for the family at Gashes Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. A reception for family and friends will be held after services at Crowfields Club House from 3:00 – 5:00 pm. to honor both Mack and Pat Cox.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions to Habitat for Humanity, an organization aligned with Mack and Pat’s beliefs that access to safe and affordable housing is a human right.