Mr. Robert F. "Bob" Cox Jr.

[Clark Funeral Home]

CLARK FUNERAL HOME

4373 ATLANTA HWY.

HIRAM, GEORGIA 30141

770-445-7133

FAX-770-505-7273

 

NEWSPAPER OBIT

 

Cox

Mr. Robert F. “Bob” Cox Jr., age 86, of Dallas, GA passed away on Saturday, July 1, 2006. He was born on November 2, 1919 in Gadsden, AL to the late Robert Fulton Sr. and Minnie Lee Cox.

Mr. Cox attended the English Avenue Grammar School in Atlanta from 1925 until 1931, he attended Okeefe High School in Atlanta from 1932 to 1935 and the Eagle Rock High School in Eagle Rock, California in 1936. He graduated from UCLA in 1940 with a BA Degree. He had numerous stage and screen appearances from the 1930’s to the 1950’s, including parts as a bit actor in the 1936 version of “King Kong” and in “Son of Frankenstein” in 1937. He was also in “San Francisco” with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy in 1936. In 1938, he was in “Reap The Wild Winds” and “Lives of a Bengal Lancer” for Paramount Pictures. He performed at the Roxy Theater in Atlanta in “Rose Marie” in 1951 and at the Atlanta Theater in the Round in “Arsenic and Old Lace” with Boris Karloff in 1952. He was a baritone soloist in the 40’s and 50’s in New York, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Petersburg, FL. From 1942 to 1945 he was a machine gunner in the Marines in World War II. He was a TV producer and Scout for WMAZ-TV in Macon, GA from 1953 to 1955 where he formed the first live variety TV shows in the state of Georgia. In 1956 he was asked to join the Ed Sullivan Staff in a major TV scouting effort for the South to secure young non-professional talent to be presented to national audiences through the facilities of the CBS Broadcasting Co. and the Ed Sullivan Show. During this period, he was called to Washington D.C. by Vice President Richard Nixon to form a group of American young performers, bands, singers, dancers, variety acts, etc. and formulate a show unit that could travel completely around the world as an example of American Youth. On June 24, 1958, the entire showcase called “Holiday For Teens” embarked for a trip that was to take them around the world, where they would eventually perform for more than 2 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces overseas. After returning to the United States, he re-established his independent TV and Scouting Production Company, expanding to the field of records and recording. During the period from 1959 to 1976, he was directly responsible for launching the recording careers of more than fifteen young people who have gone on to international recognition in records and national television. He also developed non-professional talent for the Grand Ole Opry for use in syndicated television as well as for presentation to the NBC Television Network for national exposure.

He was married to the love of his life, Gerry Cox, for 48 years before she died of MS and Multiple Myeloma. He was also preceded in death by his son, Robert F. “Robby” Cox III and his sisters, Roberta Eassey and Dorothy Pilayo. Surviving are his son and daughter-in-law, Roger Steven and Ellen Cox of Dallas; his daughters and son-in-law, Claudette Cox of Dallas and Sandra and Tom Cherry of Cumming, GA; 8 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Hiram, GA with Dr. Quinn Evans and Dr. Buddy Cooper officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 11:00 a.m. until the service time. In lieu of flowers, Bob requested donations be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 455 Abernathy Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30328 in memory of his wife, Gerry. Clark Funeral Home in Hiram, GA is in charge of arrangements.

[Lady Raider]

My prayers will be with this family