William Smith Cox, LT COL US ARMY RETIRED, age 88, of Knoxville, passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2017.
Bill was born December 21, 1928, in Knoxville, TN, to Mabel Smith and Hugh B. Cox, but lived most of his childhood with his mom and beloved step father, Edward Lightley. He also spent a few years with his other set of parents, uncle and aunt Willard Thomas and Evelyn Smith.
He was a graduate of Knoxville High School in 1948 and played football for North Carolina State, before being drafted into the Army in 1951. After Basic Training and Leadership School in Hawaii, Bill and Anna Lee were married September 4, 1952.
Right after that Bill was off to Officer Candidate School in Ft. Riley, Kansas. As a new Second LT, Bill, his wife and new baby girl, moved to Ft. Lee, Virginia. Not long after that they moved to Ft. Bragg North Carolina, as a new Paratrooper. He then served in Korea for 18 months. Shortly after that he was back to Ft. Lee, where he applied for flight school and was trained in single and twin engine fixed aircraft at Camp Gary, Texas and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. After that he attended the Advanced Armor Course in Ft. Knox, Kentucky. He then served three years in Hawaii and two years at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, before being assigned to Vietnam for a year. After Bill returned home from Vietnam, he attended Helicopter School, right before the family moved to Berlin, Germany in 1966 for a tour behind the iron curtain. After two and a half years with Berlin Brigades Aviation Detachment, the family moved to Izmir, Turkey, where he served with NATO Landsoutheast Headquarters for two years. He returned to Ft. McPherson for his retirement ceremony in 1971.
Bill was awarded the Bronze Star, 15 Air Medals and three Army Commendation Medals during his service. After retirement, Bill and Anna Lee moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he worked for C&S National Bank. In 1979, he returned to Knoxville to work for Park National Bank, First American, then Regions Bank, until his second retirement in 1991. He has been a member of Concord United Methodist Church since moving to Farragut in 1996.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; aunt and uncle.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years and high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Bayless Cox; daughter, Catherine (John) Faust, of Kingsport, TN; granddaughter, Elizabeth Lee Faust, of Indianapolis, IN; the Lightley clan, in England, where his stepfather was born, who accepted him as their blood relative; sister-in-law, Marion Bayless; brother-in-law, Jay (Bonnie) Bayless; cousin, Betty Palmer, of Sunderland; many nieces and nephews, several other in-laws, and great friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Monday April 17th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or a charity of choice . Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel & Crematory is honored to serve the Cox family.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel from Apr. 15 to Apr. 16, 2017.
Bill was born December 21, 1928, in Knoxville, TN, to Mabel Smith and Hugh B. Cox, but lived most of his childhood with his mom and beloved step father, Edward Lightley. He also spent a few years with his other set of parents, uncle and aunt Willard Thomas and Evelyn Smith.
He was a graduate of Knoxville High School in 1948 and played football for North Carolina State, before being drafted into the Army in 1951. After Basic Training and Leadership School in Hawaii, Bill and Anna Lee were married September 4, 1952.
Right after that Bill was off to Officer Candidate School in Ft. Riley, Kansas. As a new Second LT, Bill, his wife and new baby girl, moved to Ft. Lee, Virginia. Not long after that they moved to Ft. Bragg North Carolina, as a new Paratrooper. He then served in Korea for 18 months. Shortly after that he was back to Ft. Lee, where he applied for flight school and was trained in single and twin engine fixed aircraft at Camp Gary, Texas and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. After that he attended the Advanced Armor Course in Ft. Knox, Kentucky. He then served three years in Hawaii and two years at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, before being assigned to Vietnam for a year. After Bill returned home from Vietnam, he attended Helicopter School, right before the family moved to Berlin, Germany in 1966 for a tour behind the iron curtain. After two and a half years with Berlin Brigades Aviation Detachment, the family moved to Izmir, Turkey, where he served with NATO Landsoutheast Headquarters for two years. He returned to Ft. McPherson for his retirement ceremony in 1971.
Bill was awarded the Bronze Star, 15 Air Medals and three Army Commendation Medals during his service. After retirement, Bill and Anna Lee moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he worked for C&S National Bank. In 1979, he returned to Knoxville to work for Park National Bank, First American, then Regions Bank, until his second retirement in 1991. He has been a member of Concord United Methodist Church since moving to Farragut in 1996.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; aunt and uncle.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years and high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Bayless Cox; daughter, Catherine (John) Faust, of Kingsport, TN; granddaughter, Elizabeth Lee Faust, of Indianapolis, IN; the Lightley clan, in England, where his stepfather was born, who accepted him as their blood relative; sister-in-law, Marion Bayless; brother-in-law, Jay (Bonnie) Bayless; cousin, Betty Palmer, of Sunderland; many nieces and nephews, several other in-laws, and great friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Monday April 17th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or a charity of choice . Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel & Crematory is honored to serve the Cox family.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel from Apr. 15 to Apr. 16, 2017.
William Smith Cox, LT COL US ARMY RETIRED, age 88, of Knoxville, passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2017.
Bill was born December 21, 1928, in Knoxville, TN, to Mabel Smith and Hugh B. Cox, but lived most of his childhood with his mom and beloved step father, Edward Lightley. He also spent a few years with his other set of parents, uncle and aunt Willard Thomas and Evelyn Smith.
He was a graduate of Knoxville High School in 1948 and played football for North Carolina State, before being drafted into the Army in 1951. After Basic Training and Leadership School in Hawaii, Bill and Anna Lee were married September 4, 1952.
Right after that Bill was off to Officer Candidate School in Ft. Riley, Kansas. As a new Second LT, Bill, his wife and new baby girl, moved to Ft. Lee, Virginia. Not long after that they moved to Ft. Bragg North Carolina, as a new Paratrooper. He then served in Korea for 18 months. Shortly after that he was back to Ft. Lee, where he applied for flight school and was trained in single and twin engine fixed aircraft at Camp Gary, Texas and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. After that he attended the Advanced Armor Course in Ft. Knox, Kentucky. He then served three years in Hawaii and two years at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, before being assigned to Vietnam for a year. After Bill returned home from Vietnam, he attended Helicopter School, right before the family moved to Berlin, Germany in 1966 for a tour behind the iron curtain. After two and a half years with Berlin Brigades Aviation Detachment, the family moved to Izmir, Turkey, where he served with NATO Landsoutheast Headquarters for two years. He returned to Ft. McPherson for his retirement ceremony in 1971.
Bill was awarded the Bronze Star, 15 Air Medals and three Army Commendation Medals during his service. After retirement, Bill and Anna Lee moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he worked for C&S National Bank. In 1979, he returned to Knoxville to work for Park National Bank, First American, then Regions Bank, until his second retirement in 1991. He has been a member of Concord United Methodist Church since moving to Farragut in 1996.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; aunt and uncle.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years and high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Bayless Cox; daughter, Catherine (John) Faust, of Kingsport, TN; granddaughter, Elizabeth Lee Faust, of Indianapolis, IN; the Lightley clan, in England, where his stepfather was born, who accepted him as their blood relative; sister-in-law, Marion Bayless; brother-in-law, Jay (Bonnie) Bayless; cousin, Betty Palmer, of Sunderland; many nieces and nephews, several other in-laws, and great friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Monday April 17th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or a charity of choice . Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel & Crematory is honored to serve the Cox family.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel from Apr. 15 to Apr. 16, 2017.
Bill was born December 21, 1928, in Knoxville, TN, to Mabel Smith and Hugh B. Cox, but lived most of his childhood with his mom and beloved step father, Edward Lightley. He also spent a few years with his other set of parents, uncle and aunt Willard Thomas and Evelyn Smith.
He was a graduate of Knoxville High School in 1948 and played football for North Carolina State, before being drafted into the Army in 1951. After Basic Training and Leadership School in Hawaii, Bill and Anna Lee were married September 4, 1952.
Right after that Bill was off to Officer Candidate School in Ft. Riley, Kansas. As a new Second LT, Bill, his wife and new baby girl, moved to Ft. Lee, Virginia. Not long after that they moved to Ft. Bragg North Carolina, as a new Paratrooper. He then served in Korea for 18 months. Shortly after that he was back to Ft. Lee, where he applied for flight school and was trained in single and twin engine fixed aircraft at Camp Gary, Texas and Ft. Rucker, Alabama. After that he attended the Advanced Armor Course in Ft. Knox, Kentucky. He then served three years in Hawaii and two years at Ft. McPherson in Atlanta, before being assigned to Vietnam for a year. After Bill returned home from Vietnam, he attended Helicopter School, right before the family moved to Berlin, Germany in 1966 for a tour behind the iron curtain. After two and a half years with Berlin Brigades Aviation Detachment, the family moved to Izmir, Turkey, where he served with NATO Landsoutheast Headquarters for two years. He returned to Ft. McPherson for his retirement ceremony in 1971.
Bill was awarded the Bronze Star, 15 Air Medals and three Army Commendation Medals during his service. After retirement, Bill and Anna Lee moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he worked for C&S National Bank. In 1979, he returned to Knoxville to work for Park National Bank, First American, then Regions Bank, until his second retirement in 1991. He has been a member of Concord United Methodist Church since moving to Farragut in 1996.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather; aunt and uncle.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years and high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Bayless Cox; daughter, Catherine (John) Faust, of Kingsport, TN; granddaughter, Elizabeth Lee Faust, of Indianapolis, IN; the Lightley clan, in England, where his stepfather was born, who accepted him as their blood relative; sister-in-law, Marion Bayless; brother-in-law, Jay (Bonnie) Bayless; cousin, Betty Palmer, of Sunderland; many nieces and nephews, several other in-laws, and great friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Monday April 17th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or a charity of choice . Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel & Crematory is honored to serve the Cox family.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel from Apr. 15 to Apr. 16, 2017.
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