Oscar Cox Jr

Funeral is 12:00 p.m. Thursday, February 14th at Hawkins Funeral Home Chapel with burial in East Bridgeport Cemetery. Open visitation is 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home and family will receive friends 11-12 p.m. before the service.

Rev. Siegel Glover will officiate. Pallbearers include Clay Stark, Brandon Stark, Colin Stark, Stephen White, Walton Cox Gasaway, Bob Simmons, and Patrick Simmons.

Oscar was born on April 27, 1918 to Oscar Sr. and Earline (Wood) Cox in Chico and 10 days after his birth the family moved to Bridgeport. He was the second son. Oscar worked in his father's grocery business and as a boy delivered groceries in a donkey-drawn buggy. In 1938 he married Ruth Tally of Decatur. They spent two years on the gulf coast when Oscar was buying oil leases for Gulf Oil and then he served three and a half years in the Navy Air Corps as a flight engineer. They returned to Bridgeport where he worked in the grocery business and built multiple homes and commercial properties including the Bridgeport Motel and Restaurant, the first motel ever built in Bridgeport. During this time they had two children, Johnye and Cheryl. At the motel he met George and Johnny Mitchell of Houston, Ellison Miles and John A. Jackson of Dallas. Oscar joined them in developing more than 4000 oil and gas wells in Wise County. He was also instrumental in locating and negotiating the purchase for the Mitchell oil and natural gas processing plant, one of the largest in Texas. He and his family moved to Decatur where he operated several businesses and built the Wiseman Motel and Restaurant. During this time he and his family enjoyed many ski trips and other travels. They resided in Decatur until he retired and moved to Dallas. He continued building homes and owned half interest in a realty partnership. He also built homes in Rowlett on Lake Ray Hubbard and participated in other investments. In 1985 he married Bonnie Simmons. They enjoyed spending time at South Padre Island where they bought and sold several condominiums. Oscar served as president of their condominium association board for many years. He also built several homes in Plano. Oscar and Bonnie traveled extensively before moving to Heritage Ranch in Fairview, an active adult resort community. Oscar and Bonnie enjoyed attending the Oaks Baptist Church in McKinney. He will always be remembered as a delightful man with a wonderful smile.

Oscar was preceded by his parents; his son, Johnye; his sister, Mona Lee Gasaway; and his first wife, Ruth Cox.

Those left behind to cherish his memory are his wife of 27 years, Bonnie Cox; his daughter, Cheryl Stark and husband Ron; 4 grandchildren, Kimberly White and husband Stephen, Clay Stark and wife Allison, Brandon Stark and Colin Stark; 3 great grandchildren, Michael White, Savannah Stark, and Hunter Stark; his nephew, Walt Gasaway; his nieces, Rae Vorwald and Gae Pond; great niece, Lisa Crawford; Bonnie's children, Jennifer Kuzbary and Robert Simmons; Bonnie's grandchildren, Miriam Kuzbary and Patrick Simmons; Bonnie's sister, Elaine Snow; Bonnie's brothers, Joe, Merlin, Paul and Steve Reneau; and many nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to a charity of your choice.

Hawkins Funeral Home, Bridgeport, Texas, 940-683-2211

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As a former neighbor in Rowlett, I enjoyed so many "happy times" with Oscar, from trying to keep his watercraft running, to designing a boat lift (which was unauthorized at the time), to spending many hours wining and dining at one another's houses, to spending many hours on the water in his boat or my sailboat, to congregating at the our other neighbors houses to party to all hours of the night, to all the parties he and Bonnie hosted, and even after he moved away, we continued to stay in touch and party some more. I will cherish his friendship forever. He was the "ultimate Texas gentlemen".

May the Lord bless and keep him.

Lloyd Pearson

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