Alva D. Cox

Alva Dayton Cox, of New Philadelphia and formerly of Red Hill, Dover, died peacefully, surrounded by his family on Friday, August 28, 2015 in his residence following a period of declining health.

A son of the late Jesse and Opal Gwinn Cox, Alva was born at Elton, West Virginia on December 30, 1937.

Like many of his generation, Alva began working to help support his family at an early age. One of his first jobs was working in the coal mines throughout Ohio and West Virginia. He later began working in the clay sewer pipe industry and spent 20 years with the former Contex Company at Newport.

Alva was a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan who also loved spending Saturdays golfing with his brothers and playing Bingo any chance he got. He had the natural talent to be able to fix or build just about anything. In his younger years, Alva enjoyed coaching youth league baseball and football for many years. Above all, he was a family man who deeply cared for his blended family of seven children.

He always said he was deeply blessed to have to have married two wonderful women, following 35 years of marriage and the passing of his first wife, the former Barbara Ann Kedigh, Alva wed the former Bessie Ebersole on April 2, 1995.

In addition to his wife, Alva leaves behind his children, Chuck (Sandra) Cox, Eugene (Linda) Cox all of Gnadenhutten, Debbie (Richard) Rice of Bowerston, Ed (Trina) Johnson of Strasburg, Ted (Connie) Johnson of Sugarcreek, Fred (Sherri) Johnson of Millersburg, and Ned (Tiffany) Johnson of Sugarcreek, 25 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

Completing the family are his siblings, Robert (Phamey) Cox, Dallas (Mavis) Cox, Clifford (Sandy) Cox, Carl Cox, Mary Pettit, Alice McConnell, and Marie (Nelson) Philippi; a sister-in-law, Marian Schupp, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and first wife, Alva was preceded in death by four brothers, Homer, Ernest, David and Emery Cox; a daughter, Tammy Johnson, a daughter-in-law, Jodi Johnson, a granddaughter, Kelsey Johnson, twin grandson, Tanner and Conner Johnson and a granddaughter-in-law, Ashley Cox.

The family will greet guests on Monday, August 31, 2015 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia. Pastor Bill Johnson will lead a service in the funeral home’s chapel on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 2:00 PM. Burial in the Ridgecrest Memorial Gardens will follow. All are invited to join the family for a time of food and fellowship following the services in the Geib Family Center, adjacent to the funeral home.

The family requests memorial contributions in Alva’s name be directed to Crossroads Hospice, 3743 Boettler Oaks Dr., Suite E, Green, OH 44685.