Obituary of Gaylen J. Cox

Gaylen J. Cox 1929 – 2014 Gaylen J. Cox passed away peacefully in Cedar Hills, Ut at the age of nearly 85. Gaylen was born on July 30, 1929 in Manti, Utah to Geneva Jensen Cox and Charles Roscoe (“Ross”) Cox. Gaylen was the youngest of their four children, and his sisters Helen and Pauline and brother Lynn have all since passed. Growing up in Manti during and following the Great Depression, Gaylen held a number of jobs and learned the value of hard work. He graduated from Manti High School in 1947 and then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter­day Saints in the Central Pacific Mission in Hawaii, including serving in the leper colony on Molokai Island. Gaylen played the saxophone and was part of an orchestra of eight elders who toured the mission. He also attended Utah State, and graduated from BYU. Gaylen and his wife Cliss Nadine Harding Cox – who passed away on June 6, 2004 – were married on January 26, 1953 in the Manti Temple after having only met on November 15. Shortly after the wedding, Gaylen left for basic training in the Army. Following his military service and honorable discharge, and after leaving Brigham Young University, Gaylen went to work at Firestone in Idaho Falls, but quickly moved onto Pfizer, then Deseret Medical. Gaylen’s career took the family to Twin Falls, Bountiful, Denver, Oceanside, Salt Lake City, and South Carolina. Working in the medical field was one of his greatest joys. He loved his interactions with his sales staff, nurses and doctors. Gaylen also enjoyed playing golf, he was always jealous of Nadine’s hole­in­one trophy. Some of his favorite times were spent on the golf course with his Harding brothers. He loved to fish, ski, and was proud that he was a Charter Member of the BYU Cougar Club. He was a first tenor in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for 11 years. Following his retirement, he and Nadine served a mission together in England London South, where Gaylen was the first counselor in the mission presidency. Gaylen and Nadine are survived by their three daughters – Catherine Jean Cox Crittenden (Gary), Carolyn Cox Nuttall (Reid), and Calene Cox Saltmarsh (Ron) – as well as 12 grandchildren and 13 great­grandchildren. Gaylen leaves behind a strong family, as well as a legacy of hard work, love of music, and faith in Jesus Christ. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July19, 2014 at 11:00 a,m. at the 2nd Ward Building Relief Society Room, in Malad, Idaho. A viewing will be held on Friday, July 18 from 7 to9 pm at Anderson and Sons Mortuary Lone Peak Chapel, 6141 West 11000 North Highland, UT