John David Cox

John David Cox, 65, of Atlanta, died April 17, 2022, passing away peacefully at home. John was born November 18, 1956 in Atlanta, Georgia to Elizabeth Leslie Cox and Hayward Carlton Cox, Jr., both of Atlanta, GA John was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Elizabeth (“Liz”) Jones Cox; his mother and father, his paternal grandparents, Edna Blount Cox and Hayward Carlton Cox, Sr. of Alpharetta, GA; his maternal grandparents, Margaret Hallett Leslie of Creve Coeur, MO and Alexander Leslie of Milford, PA, all of his uncles and aunts, and several first cousins. He is survived by his brother, Hayward Carlton Cox, III of Erie, PA, his sisters, Leslie Cox Storey of Suwanee, GA and Aimee Cox Malik of Decatur, GA, his brothers-in-law, James Steven Storey and Joseph Malik III, his nieces, Elisa Malik and Mara Malik of Decatur, GA, and numerous first, second and third cousins.

As a pre-teen, John realized he was very skilled working with his hands. He took after his Grandfather Cox and Uncle Jimmy and loved working with wood and building things. His first major project was building a large puppet theatre out of wood. Once the theatre was completed, he invited family and neighborhood kids to watch his amazing puppet shows! John was proud of his first building project and the joy it brought him and others.

John spent 40 years building his own business and establishing himself as a handyman, carpenter, jack of all trades and someone his clients could always count on to do an excellent job at a reasonable price. Having his own business and being his own man was important to him. In late Fall of 2019, John retired and became Liz’s full-time caregiver as her Alzheimer’s disease had seriously progressed. Liz died unexpectedly on January 15, 2022.

John and Liz met soon after Liz bought the home of a long-time customer of John’s and fell in love with each other at first sight. John used to say, “he came with the house.” They surprised family and friends when they announced they had gotten married by a Jewish Rabbi on Christmas Day, December 25, 1994. John and Liz were together for 30 years and were married for a little over 27 wonderful, happy years. They were deeply devoted to each other. John and Liz were both animal lovers and owned many dogs during the years together. Close friends know that John was particularly attached to his beautiful “Pearl.”

In his early 20’s, John realized he genuinely enjoyed the adventure of visiting other countries and learning about different cultures and people. During his lifetime, he traveled to Mexico, England, Scotland, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy, many of which were trips he took with his wife, Liz. He and Liz loved spending time together and travelled together often. They enjoyed spending long weekends at a friend’s cabin in the North Georgia mountains, but for longer vacations they preferred to travel abroad.

John's family and friends are invited to celebrate his life and memory on June 11, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. in the Oglethorpe Hill Chapel of H.M. Patterson & Sons, 4550 Peachtree Road, NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319. The family requests, all attendees dress casually - colorful, cheerful clothing is preferred. They also request that attendees avoid wearing black or somber clothing, suits and/or ties. Please join John’s family for a reception to be held immediately after at H.M. Patterson & Sons. Hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, iced tea and soda will be served.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Georgia (41 Perimeter Center East, Atlanta, GA 30346) or to your local animal rescue.