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Dean J. Cox Saint George, UT QCWA # 29723 |
ST. GEORGE - Several public officials expressed their condolences for the loss of Washington County Commissioner Dean Cox, who passed away last week due to complications related to cancer. Among those who expressed appreciation for Cox's character and accomplishments in the public square was Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney.
Cox died July 7 at the age of 66 and will be buried at the Kolob Mountain Cemetery on Saturday. Details on related to the times and locations visitation and funeral services prior to the burial can be found on the bottom of this article.
Romney shared his thoughts on Cox's service to the county and beyond during a five-minute speech he gave Tuesday on the Senate floor.
"Many Utahns knew Dean as an accomplished Washington County commissioner, but those closest to him knew a loving friend, neighbor, dad, grandfather and husband who devoted his life to helping others," Romney said.
"With Dean's passing, Washington County has lost one of its finest public servants. Dean's
legacy reminds us that the most reliable path to success, in public and private
life, is marked by an unwavering dedication to principle and compassion."
Romney recounted Cox's early life as a small-business owner who eventually become involved with the county's emergency services as a volunteer. This would put him on the path to one day become the Washington County administrator. From there, Cox ran for County Commission and was elected in 2016.
One of the greatest feats of Cox's time as a county commissioner was breaking through roadblocks that had long prevented the creation of the northern corridor through a part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, the senator said.
"Without a doubt, the hallmark of Commissioner Cox's legacy is his successful breakthrough in securing approval for the northern corridor project," Romney said.
"Dean's pragmatism and willingness to reach compromise was the key to resolving long-held disagreements between disparate parties. His efforts yielded a win for the transportation needs of the nation's
fastest growing state, and a win for the wildlife conservation of its most
beautiful."
In one of the last County Commission meetings he attended in person, Cox told St. George News that he was proud of the work he had done in relation to the northern corridor and Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.
"With people from across our state, we extend our deepest sympathy to his family and loved ones. Dean is a man we will very much miss," Romney said.
Cox announced in early June that he was resigning from the County Commission due to health and personal reasons related to a cancer diagnosis he received in 2019.
The resignation was to take effect by the end of July with the Washington County Republican Party choosing a replacement for the late commissioner by that time. The county Republicans are slated to choose Cox's replacement in a meeting of the county party's central committee set for July 20.
Funeral service time and locations
Services will be held beginning Friday with a public viewing from 4-8 p.m. at the Dixie Convention Center at 1835 Convention Center Dr. in St. George
The funeral will be held at Dixie State University's Cox Performing Arts Center at 325 S. 700 East on Saturday at 10 a.m.
August 8, 1954 - July 7, 2021
Dean Jeffery Cox, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend passed away on July 7, 2021, at the age of 66 in the comfort of his home and the company of his dear family. A proud native of Southern Utah, and the fifth of seven children, he was born at the Dixie Pioneer Memorial Hospital to Robert Edgar and Jean Gubler Cox on August 8, 1954. He graduated from Dixie High School in 1972 and later attended Brigham Young University where he met the woman of his dreams, LaRene Leavitt. A story of true love, their paths first crossed on a beautiful fall morning on campus. After a quick introduction, and a moment of clarity, he knew he had just met the woman who would be his wife. After a brief courtship, they were married in St. George Temple on May 12, 1978.
Not long after they wed and moved back home to Southern Utah, he and his brother Robert decided to carry on the work of their father and form a partnership that would last a lifetime. Together, they purchased the family business on Bluff Street, then known as Bob's Garage, and renamed it to Colorland Sales and Service. With the help of their wives and children they owned and operated this successful small business for more than 30 years.
Throughout his life, he was a man of many talents, hobbies, interests, friendships, and endeavors. As a young man, he was greatly fascinated with understanding our world and was a student of science, chemistry and physics. These passions, coupled with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, served as his lodestar
- and he never shied away from pursuing his dreams. A testament to his ambition, he acquired his pilot's license at the young age of 19. From that moment on his love for flight would never leave him.
Around this same time, he also began avidly studying radio frequency as a medium for communication. His love for amateur radio and related technologies continued to grow in ways he could not have imagined
- and ultimately eclipsed its prior status and became more than just one of his many hobbies. In fact, later in life, he would not only acquire the most advanced class of license offered for amateur radio, but he found himself volunteering to maintain the entire radio and repeater network employed by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. This act of service would prove to be the first step in what became a nearly 30-year journey as a public servant of Washington County. Not long after volunteering, in 1991 he was recruited by the County Commission to serve his community as the Director of Emergency Services. Serving in this capacity over the years provided him with unique management and leadership opportunities which made him the perfect candidate for the position of County Administrator- a position he earned and excelled at for over 10 years.
Though the list of contributions to all who knew him are many- his proudest and crowning achievement was the opportunity to serve his community as an elected commissioner of Washington County. A position of which he was entrusted from 2016 to the time of his passing, and a position he never stopped working for without regard to the devastating impacts of cancer and its difficult treatment.
In addition to his many cherished hobbies and professional pursuits, he enjoyed a lifelong love of the German language after serving two years on a mission abroad. He had an innate passion for service and leveraged his many talents in an unending pursuit to serve his community, friends, family, and neighbors. This unwavering devotion to family and friends was seen and felt by all. Although he had many proud moments in his life- they paled in comparison to his deep affection for the many people in his life that he held dear.
He is survived by his beautiful wife LaRene, their 4 children, Jeffery Cox (Tanna) of Sacramento, California, Elisa Edwards (Quinten) of Santa Clara, Utah, Kristen Lotz (TJ) of Santaquin, Utah, and Edward Cox (Karen) of Arvada, Colo., and his 11 grandchildren: Kate, Matthew, Jonas, Anna, Ethan, Keira, Hailey, Camille, Audrey, Emery, and Everett. In addition, he is survived by his siblings Robert W. Cox, Janice Halter, Ilene Torgerson, Sharlene Cornwell, and Andrew Cox. He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Jean, and his sister Janet who passed as a young child.
Services will be held beginning Friday with a public viewing from 4 to 8 p.m. at Dixie Center St. George at 1835 Convention Center Dr. in St. George. The funeral will be held at Dixie State University's Cox Performing Arts Center at 325 South 700 East on Saturday at 10 a.m. Interment will take place in Kolob Mountain Cemetery immediately following the conclusion of the funeral.
