Mary Anne Cox

Mary Anne Cox, age 78 of Willow Grove, died Thursday, January 31, 2013 at a local hospital. Services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, February 2, at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home with Rev. Nathan Copeland officiating. Burial will follow at Bellwood Memorial Park. Mrs. Cox was born in Waco on January 26, 1935 to Lela Mae Alderman Woodliff and Chester Adron Woodliff. She attended Robinson schools until high school where she graduated from Waco High. Upon graduation from high school she married Thomas S. Cox of Waco on December 18, 1953, who was serving in the U. S. Air Force and stationed in Panama City Beach, Florida. They eventually moved back to Temple where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Education from Mary Hardin-Baylor College and a master's degree in Education from Houston Baptist University. She used these degrees to teach in Temple Independent School District for 27 years. She influenced many young children teaching at Cater, Reagan, and Jefferson Elementary Schools. She was actively involved in various organizations such as Delta Kappa Gamma, National Reading Association, and Temple/Bell County Retired Teachers Association. She was also a member of First Baptist Church of Temple where she taught many years as a Sunday School Teacher and also sang in the church choir. During their 59 years of marriage, Mary Anne and Tommy were blessed with three daughters, Claire Anne Copeland, Mary Elaine Smith, and Julie Caron Keever. She also loved to spend time with her eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Mary Anne loved to read, cook, play the piano, and entertain many friends and family. Everyone loved to come to Mema's house for Sunday dinners, Easter Egg hunts, game night, and lots of singing around the piano. She was preceded in death by her parents, Chester and Lela Mae Woodliff, sisters, Barbara O'Neal, Carolyn Middlebrooks and one brother Richard Neal Woodliff. She was also preceded in death by great-grandson, Caleb Copeland, and many other close friends and family. Survivors include her husband Tommy Cox, daughters, Claire Copeland and husband Bruce, Elaine Smith, and Julie Keever, and husband Jim. She is also survived by grandsons, Nathan Copeland and wife Anne-Marie, Joshua Copeland and wife Emily, Kurt Smith and wife Christina, Kiley Smith and wife Sarah, Kelby Smith, Chris Keever and wife Jessica, and Andrew Keever and granddaughter Kree Smith. She is also survived by great-grandchildren Faith Copeland, Judson Copeland, Mary Ruth Copeland, Ezra Copeland, Levi Copeland, Anna Joy Copeland, Ethan Copeland, Cora Eve Smith, Krosby Smith, Kainsley Smith, and Edward Keever. Mary Anne believed in the Lord Jesus, and professed him in her words and actions, therefore she is rejoicing in heaven with family and friends who have gone before her. The family of Mary Anne request that any memorials be made to the First Baptist Church Even Greater Things Campaign.