Jackie Donald Cox

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Jackie Donald (Don) Cox of Huntsville, Alabama, who passed away in the early hours of December 9th, 2020, at the age of 90. He was buried in a private ceremony on December 13th. Don was born October 23, 1930 in Stevenson, Alabama. The family moved to Guntersville, Alabama when he was still young. He graduated from Marshall County High School in 1949 as Senior Class President. Along the way, he earned academic honors and was a member of the Beta Club and the Future Business Leaders of America. He was also a multiple sport starter and batted clean-up on the state championship baseball team. Mr. Cox entered active duty in the United States Air Force in June 1950, served during the Korean War, and was discharged in 1954. After returning home, he began college at Jacksonville State University. Shortly after that, Don began working at the Gadsden (AL) Times and rose to the position of Sports Editor at the same time his brother, Paul, was the Sports Editor of the Anniston (AL) Star. Paul broke the story that Paul (Bear) Bryant was leaving Texas A&M for the head football coaching job at the University of Alabama, while Don grabbed the first interview with Bryant of any Alabama reporter at the hotel where Bryant was staying for a visit to the Gadsden Quarterback Club. Don moved to Huntsville in 1959 with his wife, Alice, and 3 young children, Craig, Brian, and Christie, to work at the Huntsville (AL) Times. Mr. Cox began as a local city beat reporter covering local stories including politics and crime. He continued to cover sporting events for the Times when he could, never letting go of his love for sports. In order to care for his family he also wrote for the Nashville Tennessean as a “stringer” and for true crime magazines writing articles about sensational regional crimes. Adam was born into the family in 1967 at Huntsville Hospital. Don retired from The Huntsville Times in 1994, having served in a variety of positions including Special Sections Editor, Assistant News Editor, and News Editor. He was offered, but declined, a number of opportunities in other locations, including as Press Secretary for Alabama Senator JIm Allen. He refused to leave his home in North Alabama. Don was an active member of All Saints Lutheran Church in Huntsville. Until he was physically unable, Mr. Cox participated in the Meals on Wheels program, delivering meals to the needy. He was known as a walking sports trivia expert and was a lifetime fan of the St Louis Cardinals baseball team and the University of Alabama football team. He was predeceased by: his wife Alice Swenson Cox; sons Brian Marshall Cox and Adam Matthew Cox; his parents, Wiley Lavoy and Jessie Margaret Cornelison Cox; and his siblings, Paul Cox, John Edgar (Ed) Cox, Ronnie Cox, Willodean (Dean) Cox Lusco, and Mabel Pauline (Polly) Cooley.

He is survived by his children, Craig Cox (Patricia) of Huntsville and Christie Cox Wilson (John) of Hoover; daughter-in-law Beverly of Huntsville; his brothers Jerry Cox (Myra) and Jimmy Cox; grandchildren Meredith (Clint) Sammons of Atlanta, Joshua Cox (Kelsey) of Huntsville, Adrienne Wilson of Hoover, Hailey Cox of Huntsville, Matthew Cox of Huntsville, and Sonja Cox of Orange Beach; and 5 great-grandchildren.