Dr. John M. Cox
Thank you Dr. Cox for your generous donation, your legacy lives on.
Dr. John M. Cox recently left a legacy donation which really represents the spirit and meaning of the word “legacy”.
On his father Albert’s death, as a young boy John attended the Royal Masonic School for Boys in Bushey. With further Masonic support John was able to attend and graduate from the University of London Medical School in 1957.
In 1958 Dr. Cox left England for Canada where he trained in Anaesthesiology at the University of Western Ontario passing his American and Canadian Anaesthesiology Board examinations in 1964. He also served with the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserve between 1961 to 1964.
In 1964 Dr. Cox moved to the United States where he started work at the Children’s Memorial Hospital of Northwestern University, in Chicago, Illinois. He eventually became an Associate Professor in Anaesthesiology and the Director of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Ever looking to expand his experiences and knowledge, in 1975 Dr. Cox moved on to Chattanooga to join the staff of Baroness Erlanger Hospital to practice paediatric anaesthesia and intensive care at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital. He was the first Medical Director of Paediatric Intensive Care and later became the Chief of the Erlanger Medical Centre’s Department of Anaesthesiology.
In 1985 Dr. Cox joined Anesthesiology Associates and practiced at Memorial Hospital as well as other local hospitals. Finally, after a long and successful career, Dr. Cox retired in 1996.
Not resting on his laurels, Dr. Cox proceeded to serve as the State President of the Tennessee Society of Anaesthesiologists, belonged to the Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society, the American Society of Anaesthesiologists and both the America Medical Association and the Tennessee Medical Association.
In later life Dr. Cox was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry and as a Junior Warden. He spent some spare time tending to the flower garden which gave him great peace and joy.
Throughout this long and distinguished career, Dr. Cox never missed an opportunity to give credit to Freemasonry when sharing his life story of how he became a doctor. He felt very strongly about giving back to Masonic charity in the hope that his gift could help another child fulfil their dreams and make a positive difference in this world.
Dr Cox’s surviving family are understandably very proud of his achievements. His daughter Belinda says “the freemasons made it possible for our father to attend medical school and become a paediatric anaesthesiologist. We have no idea how many newborn babies, infants, toddlers, or children that our father was a crucial part in saving or improving the quality of their lives, but we do know the because of his education, knowledge and skills, it is all thanks to the freemasons”.
Dr. Cox’s is truly a legacy that keeps on giving. Not bad at all for a boy from Southampton.
Michael R. Cox
Belinda J. Cox – Blomgren
Matthew J. Cox
Alan L. Cox