Orville James “Jim” Cox, age 85, of Elephant Butte, New Mexico, passed away on January 24, 2008, in Truth or Consequence, N.M, after a lengthy illness. Jim was born in Three Sands, Oklahoma in 1923 to Dee and Letha Cox. As a teenager, he left home to join the Army Air Force during the Second World War and won honors as an “expert marksman.” He later taught marksmanship to others in the service.
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Jim returned to civilian life after the war with an honorable discharge and worked toward a bachelor’s degree in education. It was during his studies that he met, and later married, Imogene Hurst. After teaching in Oklahoma, Jim and Imogene moved to New Mexico where he taught woodshop and coached various sports at Gallup High School.
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He enjoyed many years of teaching and coaching at the school and enjoyed even more the fond recollection of numerous stories about students he was blessed with having during his career. He always had a smile when recounting some of the antics of his students. One such student recently conveyed: “I have such fond memories of
Mr. Cox. He walked the halls of the high school with such presence that we all knew
we should toe the line!”
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A strong believer in education, Jim completed several courses beyond a master’s degree. He also received a “teacher of the year” award and, after his retirement, was honored by the Gallup Chamber of Commerce for his dedication to the education of his students.
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After the death of Imogene in 1972, he married Kathryn (Sikes) Lufkin in 1981. Kathryn was also an educator with the school district. Jim and Kathryn retired to Elephant Butte in 1992 where he was able to take full advantage of his avid interest in fishing. Although he missed Gallup, he often mentioned that there was hardly a body of water in that part of the state that you couldn’t throw a rock across. The lake at Elephant Butte was like an ocean compared to the water around Gallup.
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Jim continued his interest in woodworking well after retirement. If not fishing, he could usually be found working on a woodworking project in his shop where he was adept at fine cabinetry making.
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Jim is survived by his wife Kathryn, two sons (Jim and wife Maureen; and Steve and wife Nancy), a granddaughter (Kathleen Cox), a stepson (Paul Lufkin and wife Kim), two step-grandchildren (Tim and Christina Lufkin), a brother (Cameron Cox and wife Sally) and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his older sister (Lucille Bradshaw).
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There are no planned memorial services. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Veterans’ Memorial Park in Truth or Consequences or to Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home in Gallup.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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