Robert Wesley Cox Jr.

Robert Wesley Cox Senior and Stella Edith Cox lived on Catalina Island in 1938. The absence of a hospital on the island brought them to Hollywood California on November 14, 1938 where Robert Wesley Cox Junior was born. Wes had one sister Margaret and one brother Sunny. Sunny died at young age when he drowned on the island. The rest of the family eventually moved to the small town of Parker Arizona, where Robert Sr. worked at the Parker Dam on the Colorado River. Wes spent much of his youth fishing and hunting with his dad, who was an avid hunter of Canada Geese. Wes graduated from Parker High, and enrolled into the United States Air Force, where he was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. While stationed at Castle he and his buddies would drive to Fresno and cruise the main drag. It was on one of these trips that he met Dorles. They were eventually married in 1961.

The military moved them to Pennsylvania, Nevada, and to Germany. These early years of marriage were difficult to make ends meet. Wes would often take his gun to the pawn shop to get money to pay the bills and then get them it back on payday. It was while stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany that Nevin Blatte Cox was born in 1969. Upon returning to the US, they were stationed once again at Castle AFB. It was at this time in 1972 that Wes bought a bright yellow 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ with a 455 horsepower engine, he loved that car, and most weekends were spent washing and waxing it. The family lived in base housing, and Wes rode a Kawasaki motorcycle to work each day. The family would drive around base housing Blatte on the front, Wes in the middle and Dorles on the back; until they were pulled over by the military police and told to stop.

In 1978 the family moved to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was here that Wes started to teach Blatte many skills, including masonry, concrete, plumbing, electrical, and auto mechanics. These lessons continued on until Blatte graduated from high school and moved to college. The family bought a home in Las Vegas and Wes spent most of his free time landscaping the yard, building patios, and laying concrete. One evening Wes and Blatte made a trip to the Dairy Queen to pickup ice cream for the family. On the way back, while stopped at a red light a Mustang pulled up next to them, revving his engine. Wes told Blatte to hold his ice cream, and when the light turned green he floored the Grand Prix and left the Mustang in the dust. Wes told Blatte never to tell mom, and that secret stayed a secret for over 30 years. Wes always provided for the needs of his family. When his wages in the military were not adequate, he would take on part time weekend work. To save costs on utilities he would find trees that needed to be cut down to provide firewood for the winter. The whole family would get involved in loading the wood and when enough was accumulated they would rent a hydraulic splitter. Elm wood might not be the best burning wood, but when it was free the price was right. Elm wood is difficult to split because of the way it grows and would cause the splitter to get stuck. Dorles found the solution to problem when she came out of the house with a can of WD-40 and sprayed the wedge, sure enough, it made the job easier. Wes retired from the USAF at Nellis as a Master Sergeant, and took a job in Civil Service back at Castle AFB in 1983. The family purchased a home in Merced, California, and Wes again, spent many hours in the yard, building patios, pouring concrete, and landscaping the yard.

In the mid 90’s The Department of Defense decided to close Castle AFB and Wes and Dorles were forced to make a very difficult decision to move from Merced. He did not have enough years of employment in civil service to retire, so they decided to relocate to Hanford, CA, where Wes took a job at the Lemoore Naval Air Station. This was a difficult move in that they were leaving many friends and a church family they had known for many years, but at least Hanford was not unfamiliar territory as this is where Dorles graduated from high school and where her mother and brother lived.

When they moved to Hanford they had a home custom built, which was a first for both of them. With a blank canvas of dirt all around the house, Wes took the opportunity to start landscaping yet another yard. If you haven’t seen it, there is a raised bed that has fruit trees. Concrete curbing that borders the entire hybrid Bermuda grass yard that you can putt a golf ball on. Landscape boulders, palm trees, and cactus are planted in the flower beds. These features existed in almost all of the yards he created, but the yard in Hanford had one new feature and that was statues and decoys. It has many animal statues all placed in specific places throughout the flower beds. Wes took great pride in his yards, and it always showed.

Both of his grandsons, Jarrett and Jace, were born in Oklahoma. Jarrett had the privilege of knowing Wes longer and was the frequent recipient of many boxes from California full of cowboy boots, western shirts, and cowboy hats. Jace would receive boxes of toy cars and trucks. Wes knew what each of them would like. From 2003 to 2005 Blatte, Judy, and Jarrett lived in southern California and Judy and Jarrett would travel to Hanford monthly to spend time with Wes and Dorles. Jarrett has always loved animals and those statues in the flower beds provided an endless supply of fun. He moved the animals around, and grouped them by families. He would have the carnivores capture the other animals, and when he was done, everything would be out of place, but Wes didn’t care. Jace also loved playing in Mimi and Papa’s backyard just as much as his older brother. On several occasions he would take all the small animals and place them in a circle around the large carved bear and as Jace would say “they bow down” to it. Once Blatte and family moved back to Oklahoma, they would come back at least once a year. It was on these trips that Wes would get on one scooter and Jarrett and Jace would get on the other one and they would take off down the block together, Papa and Grandsons cruising around the neighborhood. Wes wished he could see the boys more and cherished their visits.

Wes and Dorles attended worship services regularly and always stressed the importance of worshipping God and studying The Bible to Blatte. Lessons on attendance were taught even in grade school when he wanted to play with his friends on a Wednesday night or to not go every night of a gospel meeting, making the point that worshipping God is a privilege. Wes became an elder for the 20th Street church of Christ in Merced, and served in that capacity until they moved Hanford.

Wes had begun to have back problems when they still lived in Merced, and those issues continued to worsen thru the years. In 2005 he suffered a stroke and lost almost complete use of his left leg and about 50% of his right leg, but he was strong in his upper body and with much physical therapy and work he as able to get around with the aid of a walker. Having some mobility he was still able to live at home for while in this condition. He enjoyed getting on his scooter and driving around the neighborhood to visit friends. Eventually other health issues caused Wes to have to move to a nursing home. The last two years of his life, his health had improved some and he only had to go to the hospital once. That is until this November when he came down with a kidney infection and pneumonia. Wes passed from this life on November 26th.

The family thanks each of you for your love in coming here today. Wes is missed, but we are thankful that he is no longer in the constant pain that has plagued his body for so long.

Family and Friends are invited to view Robert’s legacy at www.peoplesfuneralchapel.com and send condolences to the family.

Services are under the direction of People’s Funeral Chapel.

PEOPLE’S FUNERAL CHAPEL

501 N. Douty Street

Hanford, CA 93230

559-584-5591

www.peoplesfuneralchapel.com