Jack Cox

Published courtesy of the Cordell Beacon

© Cordell Beacon

Jack Cox was born on April 8, 1924, at Cloud Chief, Oklahoma to Ethridge Earnest "Jack" and Willia Mae (Deputy) Cox. He left to be with the Lord on Tuesday, May 7, 2002.

At an early age Jack moved with his parents to Luther, OK where he spent his growing up years. An only child with a vivid imagination, his youth was a succession of adventures. He turned his part time job at the local grocery store into a case study on the efficient management of time. The boxing ring he set up in the back yard was used to stage tournaments among his friends. He and his dog, Bruno, would play a game where Jack would hold the top cover of a cast iron cook stove as a shield and Bruno would run and knock his master over. Kites rigged with razor blades provided hours of "kite fights" and he found any number of uses for rubber bands.

Jack developed a love of flying when he was in his early teens. His parents would spend summers in Colorado working on advanced degrees and he spent his time fishing and learning to fly. When he was 17 he traded his 1939 Indian Chief motorcycle and $200 for a little Aeronca K plane and spent most of the next 50 plus years owning and flying a variety of planes.

Jack spent time in Cordell when his parents would visit family in Washita County. During one of those trips he met Zonelle Gregory and she stole his heart. There were married on October 29, 1943 at the chapel on the Lemore Field Air Base in Hanford, California.

He had interrupted his pre-med studies at Central State University to join the Army Air Corps. In February, 1944, he earned his wings while stationed at LaJunta, Colorado. He stayed for a year as an instructor pilot of B-25's. It was at this time that Jack made another commitment that would last a lifetime.

Because of Zonelle's faithful attendance at worship services and her insistence on living a Christian life, Jack learned the Truth. He had originally intended to be baptized in Cordell over Easter when he had leave from LaJunta. His job as an instructor was a dangerous one though, and one Sunday during the invitation song, he leaned over and told Zonelle that he didn't think he should wait. As a result he was baptized in March, 1944, in a cold mountain lake just outside of LaJunta.

In 1945, Jack was sent to the South Pacific. He was proud of the years he spent in the service of his country and recounted many stories of that time to his family and friends.

Following his release from the service, he resumed his education. He received a degree in efficiency engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1949. During the years that he and Zonelle lived in Norman they would travel to Noble or Lexington for him to preach on Sundays. They didn't have a car but they did have an old, open cockpit airplane. Early on Sunday they would dress in their good clothes, including a hat and heels for Zonelle, tak the trailer out to the airport, climb into the plane and fly to their preaching destination. Since the landing field was out of the city limits they would hitch hike into town.

By the time Jack graduated, Zonelle had convinced him he needed to preach full time and their first job was at Sayre. Over the next 50 plus years he preached for congregations in Haskell, TX, Enid and Cordell. He held countless meetings all over this nation and in major parts of the world.

In 1962 Jack was instrumental in the construction of the Cordell Christian Home. At a time when nursing homes were little more than warehouses for the elderly, Jack had a vision for a place where the elderly could live with dignity and he set about making that dream a reality.

During this time he also traveled all across parts of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas taking aerial photographs of farms, businesses and homes. Today many people are the proud owners of photographs he made.

In 1984 Jack and Zonelle made their first trip to India and Jack immediately knew he had found another way to use his teaching abilities to bring others to Christ. Over the next 16 years they made 14 trips to India and with the Lord's help, much everlasting good was accomplished.

Jack also wrote several religious tracts as well as two books, "Justifying A Musical Instrument in Worship" and "Heaven From A Pilot's Point of View."

Jack and Zonelle traveled across the country on their motorcycle, a love he had renewed later in life. He had recently begun wondering if maybe he could make another trip this summer.

After 58 years, Jack was still passionately in love with his wife and was exceptionally proud of their children and grandchildren. On many occasions he would say what a wonderful life he had had and it was obvious to all who knew him that he truly enjoyed living. On Tuesday he completed a journey he had been traveling for many years and reached a destination he had prepared for throughout his life.

He is survived by his wife, Zonelle, of the home; three children - Zonelle Rainbolt and her husband Charles of Cordell, Susan Jones and her husband Ken of Lubbock, TX, Greg Cox and his wife Ronita of Cordell; ten grandchildren -Matthew Crandall of Oklahoma City, Casey Crandall and his wife Chanda of Plainview, Texas, Jack Crandall of Cordell, Katie Crandall of Cordell, Jessie Rainbolt of Cordell, Jennifer Crockett and her husband Keven of Lubbock, Texas, Mitchell Jones and his wife Audrey of Cloud Chief, McKenna Cox of Taloga, Chelodi Sanford of Oklahoma City and Kade Sanford of Norman; and two great-grandchildren -Kali Crandall and McKenzie Crockett.