Obituary
Roosevelt Cox, Sr. was born to the union of the late Willie Lee Cox and the late
Beatrice Colston Cox on June 14, 1945, in Brantley, Alabama. He was the ninth of
eleven children.
He received his basic education at Crenshaw County Technical School and
completed specialized training in welding.
In pursuit of advancement, Roosevelt moved to Miami, Florida and became
employed at Jackson Memorial Hospital, moreover following in the footsteps of
his brother Ira Lewis he relocated to New Jersey and was employed with Burrys
Biscuits, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Picatiny Arsenal, and Ford Motor Company.
After years of employment with Ford, Roosevelt was laid off and he worked odd
jobs until his entrepreneurial skills kicked in. He began to work at the Sand Pit Bar
& Lounge as well as the Board of Education as a janitor in Newark, NJ as well as
Baker and Taylor in East Orange, NJ where he delivered books.
He and his brother-in-law, James Wilson, soon after opened a restaurant by the
name C&W Restaurant where their sister-in-law the late Barbara Wilson was
cook. When the restaurant closed he relocated to St. Louis, MO to reestablish his
association with Ford Motor Company where he ultimately retired April 30, 2000
after 35 years of employment.
Never one to sit idle, he continued his entrepreneurial endeavors in 1982 with R.
Cox & B. Contracting until relocation to West Point, Mississippi in 2003 where he
established Roosevelt Auto and worked at the Cross Roads, The Eldorado and The
Oasis.
His final place of employment was with Navistar Defense in West Point, MS where
he met and established a special bond with his supervisor, Mr. Tim Thomas as well
as co-workers, Quentin Posley and Ray Reed.
While in Mississippi, he also had special acquaintances with Mr. Frank Akins and
Mr. Jessie Lee Evans, who he referred to as brothers. Roosevelt had special bonds
with Sylvia Madison who referred to him as Pappy as well as Mitch Williams,
Gates and Denise Harris and the Late Sylvester Harris among others.
Roosevelt married Ethel Mae Wilson and to this union was born Roosevelt Cox,
Jr. and Tyrone Cox. He also married Mittie Louise Patterson and became father to
her four children: Larry, Violet, Jacqueline and Dawn.
February 1992, Roosevelt met Barbara Perkins and shared life with her as well as
her two children, Bryant and Carlyn (deceased) and her grandson, James Robinson
for the next 25 years of his life.
As a child and throughout adulthood, Roosevelt attended Mulberry Baptist church
however he formally joined the Beulah Baptist Church under the leadership of the
late Rev. J.C. Crawford in Newark, NJ. Upon relocation to Mississippi, Roosevelt
regularly attended Christian Faith Baptist Church in Starkville, MS under the
leadership of Reverend Fred Orr and presently Reverend Demarrio Brown.
He departed this life on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 11:44 AM at North
Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Roosevelt leaves to cherish his memories: Ms. Barbara Perkins; his biological
children: Derrick Brown, Julius James, Roosevelt Cox, Jr., Tyrone Cox, Latoya
Morgan; Grandchildren: Kiana Brown, Skye Jordyn Cox, Fahkir Ayauun Morgan,
Qadree Richardson and Quamir Khayaamn Richardson; Great Grandchild,
Aubrey Richardson; Siblings: M.L. knighten, Leatrice Cox, Irene Gail Meeks
(Raymond): in-laws: James Wilson, Lula Cox-Ghafoor and Ernestine Cox; A host
of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Willie Lee and Beatrice; son, Andre
Antwaun Morgan; grandson, Davion Mccail; brothers: Ira Lewis, Willie Jay,
Donald Ray and James Lamar; sisters: Ellar Lee, Mollie, Mildred; sisters-in-law,
Pearline and Minnie Lee; brothers-in-law, Fred and Willie Shepard Knighten.
 

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