KENNETH JACKSON COX

1931-2017

Kenneth J Cox, 85, of Houston, Texas, passed away after a brief illness on February 27,2017. Ken is predeceased by his parents, Lambuth and Pearl Cox, and his sister, Doris. He is survived by his twin brother Keith and older brother Lambuth. He is also survived by his wife of 59 years, Kay, his children Christopher Cox (Karen), and Karen Nelson (Nancy), his four grandchildren, Christopher Klyng, Taylor Cockrell, Kate Cox and Sam Cox, and two great granddaughters Sophie and Kinsey Klyng, along with several nieces and nephews.

Ken was born on April 21, 1931 in Austin, Texas. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1949. Ken earned both a BS and an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and later completed his PhD in Digital Flight Systems at Rice University. He worked briefly at Temco in Garland, Texas, and Lockheed Martin, in Denver, Colorado, but spent the bulk of his career working for NASA at the LBJ Space Center in Houston, Texas. It was here that he found his passion working on the space program for over 40 years. He played a significant role in the Apollo and Shuttle programs, created and chaired the Avionics Technology Working Group (ATWG), and co-authored several books.

Ken was an active member of his community. He served on the charter commission creating the city of Nassau Bay, and served on the vestry of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. His greatest joy was being involved in the activities of his children and grandchildren, and was always a support to family and friends.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2pm on Saturday March 4th at the Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church – 17503 El Camino Real Houston, Texas 77058. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.