Cox Jr., Edward A.
Age 83, of Oak Brook, Illinois, and Naples, Florida, loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully on the early morning of March 16, 2019. The son of Edward A. Cox and Mary Helen (nee McCracken), Ed grew up the oldest of seven children in River Forest, Illinois. He attended St. Luke Parish School in River Forest and Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Class of 1953. He graduated from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, Class of 1957. He also earned honorary degrees from Marmion Military Academy and St. Joseph’s College.
He met the love of his life, Rosemary Pfister, at the Rojo Restaurant in Bloomington, Illinois. On their honeymoon in 1960, while traveling home though Kentucky, they stopped at a horse farm in Louisville, which sparked his interest in owning, breeding, and racing thoroughbred horses. During his 50 plus years in the racing industry, he cherished his relationships with some of the top horse breeders in the country, including Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farms and Warner Jones of Hermitage Farms. He became one of the most accomplished small-breeders in the field. His proud accomplishments include co-breeding Irish champion Woodman with Warner Jones, and owning and/or breeding horses such as Banker’s Lady, Naples Bay, Classy Cathy, Marquetry, Live Lively, Impetuous Gal, and Mitole, to name a few. His love of horses and racing culminated in partnering with Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farms on three year-old champion, and the 1984 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, Swale.
He was a long-time member of the Chicago Board of Trade as a commodities trader for over 60 years. He loved going to work every day. In July of 1970, he became one of the founding owners of the Oak Trust and Savings Bank on 1000 North Rush Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast area. He also founded E.A.Cox Construction Company in 1983, which was operated by his two sons, John and Tom. He was a proud member at both Butler National Golf Club and Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, Illinois for over 50 years. Most recently, he was a member of the Port Royal Club in Naples, Florida. Some of his fondest memories were made while traveling extensively with his wife and family to Ireland, The Holy Land, Africa, Spain, Canada, Alaska, Russia, and many more destinations.
He is survived by his family whom he said he “loves so much and would do anything for”; his wife of 58 years, Rosemary (nee Pfister) Cox; his ten children, Edward A. Cox III, Mary Helen (Cox) Coffey, John Lester Cox, Maureen Therese (Cox) Scanlon, Thomas Michael Cox, Margaret Mary Cox, Robert Joseph Cox, Rosemary Pfister (Cox) Conway, Catherine Mary (Cox) Murphy, and Michael James Cox; his nine sons and daughters-in-law, Cindy (Fisher) Cox, Lawrence Coffey, MaryJo (Hogan) Cox, John Scanlon, Lisa (Stockdill) Cox, Mary Kay (Schmidt) Cox, Christopher Conway, Neil Murphy, and Anna (Lambrou) Cox; his 38 grandchildren, Eddie, Delaney, Ryan, Nikki, Christian, Colleen, Mac, Matthew, Alison, Jimmy, Courtney (and husband Ryan Gisriel), Johnny, Kiley, Maggie, Clare, Jack, Mike, Joe, Madeleine, Tommy, Katie, Kelly, Daniel, Emma, Keira, Lauren, Robert, Abby, Katherine, David, Riley, Caitlin, Erin, Michael, Jimmy, Colleen, Kelly, and Nora. Ed’s 39th grandchild is due April 2, 2019.
The Cox family would like to thank Dr. Steven Gallo of MD2 Chicago for his unyielding attention and dedication to our father. We would also like to thank Dr. Jyoti Patel, Brittany Beach, and Katelyn Edgington, his team of pulmonary oncologists, along with all the nurses and practitioners at the University of Chicago. We would like to thank his caregivers Anna, Helen, Sophie, Dee, and Margaret for their tireless love and care of our father. And finally, we would like to thank John Verdera (JV) for his amazing loyalty and friendship with our dad for the last three years.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Misericordia Heart of Mercy at www.misericordia.com/giving/donate-online. Visitation Wednesday, March 20, 2019, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Sullivan Funeral Home, 60 South Grant St., Hinsdale, IL. Funeral Thursday, March 21, 2019, family and friends to meet for a 10:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Ascension of Our Lord Church, 1 S. 314 Summit Ave., Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL. For Information: 630-323-0275 or www.sullivanfuneralhomehinsdale.com.