Aug. 9, 1942 - June 5, 2009

R. Larry Cox, 67, died Friday.

He was born in Albany to Orie Henry and Vida Mae (Housley) Cox. His great grandfather, Lewis Cox, came by wagon train on the Applegate Trail in 1846 and settled east of Albany. Larry graduated from Albany High School with the class of 1960 and went on to Salem Tech for one year in drafting.

He went to work at Wah Chang in 1962 and retired from there after 40 years with a disability from an auto-immune illness called "dermatomyositis." He lived 11 years with the illness and was quite a warrior and you very seldom heard a complaint. He was most happy driving his tractors and being on the Century Farm, which has been in his family since 1846. In November 1963, he married Doris Katherine Boyer and together they raised three great sons.

Larry is survived by his sons and their significant others Brian Dean and Kazzie, Chadwick Jason and Miguel, and Dana Lewis Cox; three loving grandchildren, Shaelyn, Alieyah and Benjamin; sister Marlene and husband Jim DeForest; sisters-in-law Jeanette Fisher, June Wright and Donna Larkin; brother-in-law Irwin and wife Sharon Dalke; two aunts, Georgia Holt and Myrtle Cox; and many nieces and nephews and cousins.

According to Larry's wishes there will be no service. His ashes will be spread in the fir grove on the farm that he loved so much. Larry never met a stranger and will be missed by everyone he knew. A family gathering to celebrate his life will be at a later date.

If you wish, donations can be made to Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, 1046 Sixth Ave. S.W., Albany, OR, or the Kidney Association of Oregon (KAO).