GREENFIELD
May 19, 1939 to October 25, 2024 – aged 85 years 5 months 7 days – 31207 days
Abe was born in Lawrenceville, Illinois to Percy Douglas and Mae Belle McGuire Cox. He was the youngest of seven siblings. His four brothers and two sisters all predeceased him. He attended school in Lawrenceville.
He served four years in the United States Navy. Never on a ship, he mostly worked in a training position. Then he spent a short period of time working at Illinois Agricultural (Farm Bureau) insurance as a Junior Underwriter in Bloomington, IL, dealing with re-insurance.
A buddy from his time in the Navy inquired if he would like to go to California to work with a company that had a training contract to teach aviation ground school just as they had in the Navy.
Other things developed in the company during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he was trained as a System Technician retrofitting Air Force Ground Control Approach (GCA) units for the US Air Force by ITT-Gilfilan Corporation.
Abe started this endeavor as Lead Technician on an installation team of about six people who completed seven installations, becoming designated as Radar System Installation Engineer on the last five.
He then worked for ITT as a Contract Technical Service Person (CTSP) with the 6146th United States Air Force Advisory Group, working with the US Air Force and the South Korean Air Force in Suwon, South Korea, for two years.
Returning to the US, Abe worked at the Magnavox Military and Industrial manufacturing plant in Urbana, Illinois for some time prior to meeting Betty through a blind date in 1967.
He and Betty Lou were married on December 16, 1967, and lived in rural Hancock County for over fifty years.
Abe Ben Cox was an instrumental partner in his wife’s career as daycare provider. They cared for hundreds of children over four decades of service and were commonly known as “Daddy Abe,” and “Betty Mom”.
Abe worked at the Naval Avionics Facility in Indianapolis for 26 years before his retirement in 1993.
They have six children together, who all attended the Mt. Vernon Community School District through their entire elementary and high school educations. This was one of their proudest accomplishments as they felt it was important to be able to pursue school years in one area and school corporation.
After celebrating fifty years of marriage, he was predeceased in death by his spouse, Betty, in July 2018.
Abe enjoyed the company of his children, and is survived by:
Angela Rae Avers (David)
Kelly Spoor (Chris Hannemann)
Lisa Robbins
Kristy Clayton (Jamie)
Alan Scott (Colleen)
Karl Duffy (LeeAnn, deceased)
Jeff Spoor, son-in-law (Michele)
all reside in Indiana, currently.
He has 20 grandchildren; and 9 great grandchildren, with more anticipated.
Visiting hours and a service will be held at the Flanner and Buchan Cemetery – 9350 E Washington St. on Friday the 8th of November at 3pm.
In a lighter note, although there were times of adversity and time spent working multiple part-time jobs, that was not what was dwelt on in memory. The family’s cooperation certainly helped accentuate the good times that were present.
Abe professes that he was very lucky in life, although luck comes with work and effort. Abe is quick to point out what great respect he holds for the constant, bold, and caring efforts of his spouse, and the cooperation and close support each of their offspring holds for the others!
If you’d like to make a donation, Abe asked that those go to:
https://diabetes.org/
A memorial service will be held on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 5:30PM. Family and friends are welcome to gather before the service starting at 3PM and after the service until 7PM. The memorial gathering and service will be held at Flanner Buchanan-Memorial Park, 9350 E. Washington St. Indianapolis, Indiana, 46229. Abe will be laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at 10AM.
