Rev. Ellis Gerald Cox

Cox, Ellis G. At the age of 89, Ellis left us suddenly and went to the loving arms of his Heavenly Father on February 9, 2011, due to an acute lung inflammation. He was born in Joy Coy, CO, July 4, 1921, the second of four boys born to parents Icie Marie (Hoover) and Fred L. Cox. The family left the dust bowl of Colorado during the depression, moving to the lush paradise of Sandpoint, ID. There, Ellis graduated from High School, met and married the love of his life, Velma Lenora Bailey. They married July 14, 1940, and just last year celebrated 70 years of love and commitment, before Velma’s death November 19, 2010. A veteran of World War II, Ellis served as an aircraft mechanic with the Navy. In 1951, he graduated from Northwest Nazarene College, and studied further at Walla Walla College and Central Washington College, Ellensburg. Ellis answered the Lord’s call into pastoral ministry with Rufus, OR as his first church in 1943. He was formally ordained into the Ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in 1953.

Rev. Ellis Cox pastored until 1979, in Washington Churches: Deer Park, Ewan, Walla Walla Aldersgate, Yakima West Valley and Spokane Bethel. His last years of service to the denomination were in Ohio and Kansas City representing the Nazarene Headquarters Department of Stewardship where he entered retirement in 1986. After retirement, a lifelong learner and hard worker, Ellis still loved to read, he designed and built their retirement home, built a large home in Alaska for friends, fished, did craft woodworking, traveled and did volunteer service trips for missions. The last five years though he dedicated to his wife as the Best Care Giver Ever! As surviving family, we are so proud of the person he was and witness to his humble greatness: daughters, Lavona Smith (Richard) of Kenai, AK, and Joyce Chitwood (Monte) of Mead, WA; six grandsons and one granddaughter, Nathan Smith (Debbie), Joel Smith (Nikki) and Daniel Smith, all of Kenai, AK, Josh Smith (Melissa) of Monte Vista, CO, Lane Chitwood (Hilary) of Boise, ID, Matthew Chitwood of Washington DC, Vicki Shingleton (Lamont) of Spirit Lake, ID; nine great grandchildren, Josh, Samantha, Jacob, Samuel, Julia, Audrey, Natalie, William and Marie: and three great great grandchildren, J.J., Mariah and Kendra. He was indeed God’s gift to grateful family and friends. His sweet, gentle spirit, words of wisdom and “spunk” always made us smile. The sorrow his death brings is swallowed up in victory by his entry into the presence of his loving Heavenly Father and Lord, Jesus Christ. We will see dad soon and enjoy the homecoming he has already received from: wife, Velma Lenora Cox; daughter, Anita; son, Gary and wife Linda and their daughter Vonnie; parents, Fred and Icie Cox; and brothers, Joe, Ray and Vernon Cox.Visitation Tuesday, February, 15, 2011, from 2:00 – 8:00 P.M. at Ball & Dodd Funeral Home. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:30 P.M. on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, at Bethel Church of the Nazarene, 1111 S. Thor St. Spokane, WA. Interment Fairmount Memorial Park. Memorial contributions can be made to Northwest Nazarene University to the Ellis and Velma Cox Scholarship Fund, 623 S. University Blvd, Nampa, ID 83686.

The service will be streamed live online at: http://video.worshipstream.com/channel/spokanebethellive

And available on demand for 30 days, courtesy of WorshipStream.com