Norman "Bud" Vance Cox

Norman “Bud” Vance Cox, 94, of Marion, passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2023.

Norman was born in Fletcher NC, on April 8, 1928 to the late George V. Cox and Edna Ingle Cox.

Norman moved to Ashford in 1938, and had many stories about growing up in the area at a time when there were no telephones and no electric service. He attended and graduated from North Cove High School. Norman volunteered for the US Army Air Corps, served three years most of it in the Pacific Theater in the weather service as part of the occupation troops in the Philippines and Okinawa, but also Japan and China. He was a WWII veteran with a WWII Victory Medal and Army of Occupation of Japan. Being a Squadron Commander for the Civil Air Patrol, he flew many search missions for missing aircraft. Norman also attended Mayland Community College for two years while working as a guide at Linville Caverns. He then went to work for American Thread as a supervisor for thirty five years and retired in 1990. As an active pilot for more than fifty years he had a lifelong love of flying. He could be found regularly at Shiftlet Air Field in Marion and took many people in McDowell for their first airplane ride. He was a faithful member of East Marion United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir and was a member of the men’s club and a trustee. Norman was also an amateur radio license examiner.

Preceding Norman in death including his parents are his first wife, Betty Blankenship Cox; a stepmother, Bertha Mae Cox; sisters Evelyn Hollifield, Irma Jean Cox and Beatrice Cox and brothers, George C. Cox, Jr., Charles Cox, Robert Lewis Cox and Harold Cox.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Margie Harris Cox of Marion NC; a son Eugene Cox and wife Jackie of Raleigh NC; grandchildren, Dr. Emily Cox of Greenville, NC and Christopher Cox of Cary, NC; sisters Ina E. Holden of North Pole, Alaska, Phyllis Larimer of Gray TN and Ava Cox Skeans of Watauga TN and brothers, Allen D. Cox and wife Linda of Johnson City, TN, Perry Cox of Watauga, TN, Delbert Cox and wife Wanda of Hendersonville, NC, Wayne Cox of Watauga, TN, William Cox and wife Carolyn of Watauga, TN, James Cox of Pine Flats, TN and Dennis Cox and wife Donna, of Piney Flats, TN.

A funeral service will be held in the chapel of Beam Funeral Service on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Phillip Tate and Estel Williams officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. in the chapel. Burial will take place at McDowell Memorial Park following the service.

Memorial donations may be made to East Marion Methodist Church at PO Box 2481 Marion, NC 28752.