H.R. No. 503
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life came to an end with the
passing of Loel Dene Cox of Comanche on January 25, 2015, at the age
of 88; and
WHEREAS, L. D. Cox was born in Sidney on April 12, 1926, to
Ottie and Olene Cox; he played football for Sidney High School, and
immediately after graduating in 1944, he answered his nation's call
to duty and enlisted in the U.S. Navy; and
WHEREAS, During World War II, Mr. Cox served as a Seaman 1st
Class on the famed USS Indianapolis, and in March 1945, he survived
a kamikaze attack on the ship during the battle for Okinawa; later
that year, after the ship had delivered components for the first
atomic bomb to the island of Tinian, it was sunk by a Japanese
submarine, and in one of the worst tragedies in U.S. naval history,
880 men out of 1,197 died from drowning, starvation, or shark
attack; as one of the 317 survivors, Mr. Cox received the Purple
Heart; and
WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Cox resumed his education, and he
earned an associate's degree from John Tarleton Agricultural
College in 1947 and a bachelor's degree in agricultural education
from Texas A&M University in 1948; he worked as a teacher for a year
in San Angelo before settling near Comanche; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Cox was joined in matrimony to Sara Lou
McCarroll in 1949, and they shared a rewarding marriage of 65 years
until her death; together they were the parents of a son, Lowell,
and later in life were blessed with a grandson, Jeff; and
WHEREAS, Starting in 1952, Mr. Cox worked for Moorman
Manufacturing Company, and he soon became the sales manager for
Texas and New Mexico, holding that position until he retired in
1984; he was also a member of the board of directors of Comanche
National Bank for nearly five decades; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Cox was a member of the Church of Christ in
Sidney, as well as the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers
Association, the National Rifle Association, the American Legion,
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans;
he lived an active lifestyle, regularly traveling to stock shows,
and he took pleasure in preparing his famous "two-song biscuits"
for guests at his ranch, kneading the dough for as long as it took to
sing two cowboy songs; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Mr. Cox remained proud of his
service on the Indianapolis, and he reunited each year with his
fellow survivors in the city of Indianapolis to honor their lost
shipmates; he was a popular public speaker, sharing his story with
audiences around the nation and promoting the ideal of duty to one's
community and country; in 2000, he and three other survivors
appeared in a Discovery Channel documentary about a search for the
lost ship; and
WHEREAS, A loving family man, an engaged citizen, and a
patriotic veteran, L. D. Cox lived a long and remarkable life in
which he experienced both tragedy and triumph, and he leaves behind
a legacy that will continue to inspire all those who knew and loved
him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Loel Dene Cox and
extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his son,
Lowell Dean Cox II, and his wife, Terry; to his grandson, Jeff Lin;
to his niece, Suzanne Heptner, and her husband, Jerry; to his
nephew, Scott Brehm, and his wife, Minerba; and to his other
relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Loel Dene
Cox.
Sheffield
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 503 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on March 12, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House