Henry Allison Cox

Henry Allison Cox Henry Allison Cox, 92, died on April 5, 2011, at Meadow Lakes, a continuing care community in Hightstown, New Jersey. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2011, at 11:00 am, at The Presbyterian Church, 1 Oak Street, Basking Ridge, New Jersey, followed by a reception at the church. Arrangements by Gray Funeral Directors, Westfield. Henry was born in Belleville, N.J., on December 3, 1918, to Henry Alfred and Flora Belle Cox. Being raised in Maplewood, N.J., where his family moved from Belleville when he was in elementary school, he attended Columbia High School and then continued his education at Lafayette College where he received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1940. On May 8, 1943, Henry married Mary Elizabeth Jones of Easton, Pa., who passed away on June 2, 2002. He is survived by their son, Henry A. Cox, Jr., and daughter, Susan Cox Schundler, their son-in-law, Peter Schundler, and four grandchildren, Kelly Schundler Rakovic, Bradford, Scott, and Greg Schundler . He is also survived by his sister, Doris Cox Peterson, his brother, Thomas E. Cox, and sister-in-law, Diane M. Cox. Following graduation from Lafayette College (where Henry joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity; was treasurer of the Inter-Fraternity Council and manager of the basketball team; played lightweight football, and was inducted into the college honorary society (K.R.T.) of which he was elected secretary), Henry was employed by the Ingersoll-Rand Co., until he voluntarily joined the Navy in 1943. After several brief assignments, Henry was stationed at the Navy air station in Sanford, Maine, as electronics officer, until he was discharged in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant. He then joined the firm of Thomas H. Cox & Son, a printing and office supply business in Newark that was started by his grandfather in 1908 and moved to Irvington in 1955. Working with his father until 1967 when the company was turned over to Henry, he ran the organization until 1983 when he retired and sold the business. Henry and Mary resided in Westfield for 57 years, until her death in 2002, when he moved to Meadow Lakes. While residing in Westfield, they were members of the Westfield Presbyterian Church. After moving to Meadow Lakes, Henry joined The Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge to which his daughter's family belongs and for which one of Henry's ancestors donated the land in 1731 to build the original church. No flowers please. For those who wish, a memorial donation may be made to the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Historic Building Fund, the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery, or the Meadow Lakes Scholarship Fund.