Obituary of Martin L. Cox

The Reverend Martin Luther Cox, Jr., was welcomed into the company of heaven on the morning of Saturday, August 13th, 2016, after a courageous battle with leukemia. He is now at rest. Marty wore many hats—not only of the trilby, fishing, and baseball sort—but that of inspirational preacher, wise counselor and pastor, knowledgeable professor, eldest brother, and accomplished tenor. He was a dear friend, loving husband and father, and a most special "Poppy" to his beloved grandchildren. He was, and will remain, so much to so many, and will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. Marty was born in Norwalk, Ohio on August 21, 1944, to Salvation Army Officers, Martin L. Cox, Sr., and Marguerite Cox. He studied Church history at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and earned a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. In 1982, Marty became Pastor of Hawley United Methodist Church and in 1983, he married Margaret "Peggy" (Miller) Simpson. He remained pastor at Hawley Methodist for 31 years, during which time he obtained his Master of Arts in Liturgical Studies at Drew University. Upon retiring as pastor in 2012, he became an adjunct philosophy and ethics professor at Lackawanna Junior College and increased his participation in local civic and religious organizations. Marty served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Green Gates Cemetery Association, was current President of the Hawley Borough Council, and was especially committed to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and collaboration, through his work with the Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission in Scranton, PA. Marty and Peg celebrated their 33rd anniversary of marriage on August 12th, 2016. Over those 33 years, the size of their family grew exponentially. They were blessed with many grandchildren, for whom Marty had his own special pet names. With pipe in hand and a smile on his face, he had a way of offering well-timed words of wisdom when you needed them most. Marty is predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Peggy; her children Rich, Jim, Susan and Tricia and their children; four siblings, Ronald Cox of Connecticut and Judith, Melinda, and Denise Cox of Alaska. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, August 18th at Hawley United Methodist Church, 315 Church St., Hawley, from 4-7pm. A memorial service to celebrate the life of the Rev. Cox will be held at the Hawley United Methodist Church on Friday, August 19th, at 10am. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Memorial Fund at Hawley United Methodist Church, 315 Maple Avenue, Hawley, PA 18428.