John Tobin Cox

John Cox

Groves Point

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of John Tobin Cox, aged 85, loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital.

Born in Mill Creek on April 12, 1938, John was the first-born son of the late Joseph and Rose (Tobin) Cox. At the age of 19 he left Cape Breton for Kitimat, British Columbia to start his life, finding a career at Alcan Aluminum, and finding the love of his life in red shorts on the tennis court, Beverley Martin. They would live in B.C. for 19 years before moving back to Cape Breton, with their two children in tow, to settle on the family property on Cox Lane. They were tremendously proud of the home they made there, as John, an extremely hard worker, would put in long hours of landscaping and gardening with Beverley’s helping green hand. They kept meticulous care of everything they had.

John was a kind hearted, stoic man. He was a man of sport and athletics – there were few sports at which he didn’t try his hand, but his greatest passions were hockey and tennis. He was a fine hockey player in his younger days, and never missed his beloved Canadiens on Hockey Night in Canada throughout his entire life. He was also an avid tennis player and was well known for maintaining the backyard clay court on the family property in Groves Point to which players from all around the area would frequent for matches and tournaments. Summers would find John with his family around the tennis court or swimming in the beautiful Bras d’Or. His family, of course, was the greatest treasure in his rich life.

John is survived by his children – Jonathan (Karen) and Cathy (Chris) MacMullin; grandchildren – Gavin and Sam MacMullin, and Marissa, Evan, and Cowan Cox; siblings – Dorothy (David) Blackadar, Judy Cox, Viola (Roy) Smith, Mary (Jim) Hirtle; goddaughter – Shauna Hepworth, and brother-in-law Donald Martin of Port Alberni, B.C., as well as many nieces and nephews.  

Besides his parents, John was predeceased by wife, Beverley (Martin), along with siblings – Catherine Ann MacKenzie Cox (who died in infancy), Kenny Cox, Rosemary “Roey” Clarke, Barbara Kernick, and Joseph “JoJo” Cox.

The family wishes to thank the VON, EHS, the staff of the E.R. at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Dr. Michel McKeough and his lovely receptionist, Louise.

A funeral service will be held for John at 2p.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at W.J. Dooley Funeral Home at 107 Pleasant St. North Sydney, with Deacon Dave Lewis officiating. The public is encouraged to come and meet with the family between 1 and 2p.m. Burial will take place at a later date. Donations are encouraged to be made to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation. Online condolences can be left for the family by writing on the tribute wall of the obituary page.

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