Thomas Albert Cox

Thomas “Tom” Albert Cox, 92, of the Trinity View Community and formerly of the High Vista Community in Mills River, died Monday, November 27, 2017. A native of La Crosse, WI, he was a son of the late Frank and Emily Radke Cox. Tom graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in mechanical and agricultural engineering. Following graduation, he moved to Burlington, Iowa and worked for J.I. Case for five years as a design engineer and then ten years for Mason Hangar Silas Mason Co. In 1966, he moved to Asheville to work for Northrop/Chemtronics and in 1971, he and his wife became the owners and operators of the first IHOP in Asheville. He loved baking, gardening, traveling, the Green Bay Packers and playing golf. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Jeanne Tonkin Cox; two daughters, Cathy Boyd (Charlie) of Belmont, NC and Colleen Fehn (Don) of Chattanooga, TN; one son, Tommy Cox (Jenny) of Charlotte, NC; four grandchildren, Melissa Boyd Glover (Larry), Steven Boyd, Samuel Cox and Isaac Cox, as well as one great-grandson, Mason Glover. A Mass Of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, December 4 at Saint Barnabas Roman Catholic Church with Father Adrian Porras officiating. Interment will be held at 2:00 PM on Monday at Lewis Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian on Sunday, December 3 from 4:00-6:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Tom’s memory to the St. Vincent De Paul charity, c/o St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, 109 Crescent Hill Road, Arden, NC 28704 (stbarnabasarden.org).