Gwendolyn Lee Richardson Cox, 92, of Friends Homes West, Greensboro passed away Monday, November 13th, 2023. Gwen was born in Guilford County on February 5, 1931 and was the only child of John Coltrane (JC) and Maude Ozment Richardson.
She graduated from Guilford College in 1953 and married Worth Everett Cox the same year. They were married and lived in northern Randolph County for 53 years until his death in December 2006. Gwen moved to Friends Homes West in 2015 and enjoyed playing bridge, attending Vespers and daily lunch with her circle of friends. Her hairdresser, Patty McKinnon was a trusted friend with this smooth transition.
Gwen loved her family and her community and was a longtime member of Centre Friends Meeting. She participated in the Homemakers Club (Cornell Cooperative Extension) for 50 years, the Centre Grange and Friendly Workers Circle as well as serving as an Facing Elder for the meeting. She enjoyed the fellowship of the Southeast Christian Women’s Club and the Pleasant Garden Book Club.
Gwen had special relationships with her aunts who cared for her when she was young, Nettie Barefoot, Hazel Murrow and Gertrude Eley. She especially enjoyed family reunions - the Cox, Coltrane, Weatherly and Sillmon get togethers and was a strong supporter of the family churches: Rehobeth United Methodist Church, Ebenezer Memorial Chapel and Centre Friends Meeting.
Her greatest joy in life was learning to drive after the age of forty. She elicited great pride from her physicians in this accomplishment. She loved the freedom to shop, explore, eat out and get her hair done at her own convenience. She was especially pleased to have worked on the Centre cookbooks – Quaker Dozen – 225th Anniversary and Quaker Dozen II – A Second Helping. She and Worth also enjoyed many bus trips to various locations with Don Osborne and other seniors at Centre Meeting. Coming from a farming family, she tended to a wonderful garden and was known to share lots of fresh blueberries, figs, green beans and other vegetables with family and friends as well as her homemade fig preserves.
Gwen is survived by her daughter Karen D’Ascoli and her husband Richard of Schenectady, NY; her son, Michael J. Cox and Alan Lewis of Greensboro; her three grandchildren, Joseph and Mary D’Ascoli, Jennifer and Will Etheridge and Catherine and Joseph Torlucci; six great grandchildren, Raphael, Ryan and Arianna D’Ascoli and Eleanor, Lillian and Andrew Etheridge and many extended family members with whom she enjoyed many holiday gatherings.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit Gwen’s family at Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home, 515 North Elm Street, Greensboro on Friday evening November 17th from 3-6pm.
A graveside service and burial with a fellowship gathering afterwards will be held at 11 am on Saturday November 18th at Centre Friends Meeting, 325 Hwy 62 East Greensboro, NC 27406. Contributions may be made in Gwen’s name to a charity of one’s choice.
Online condolences may be offered at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com.
