Janice K. Cox

Janice Kay Cox, 70, of Bloomington died Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 8:35 a.m. at Luther Oaks Assisted Living in Bloomington. She was born July 23, 1947 in Olney, the daughter of Warren and Mary Lewis Peters. She married Carrol B. Cox on May 10, 1969 in Bloomington. He survives.

Janice was a graduate of Illinois State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature. She was union steward of the U.S. Postal Service in Bloomington, and also served as the president of the Bloomington local of the American Postal Workers union. She had a second career as a network engineer at State Farm from 1999 until retiring in 2012. She loved the outdoors, both gardening and as an intrepid morel mushroom hunter. She loved music and was particularly passionate about opera and Broadway musicals. She herself played the flute, oboe and piano...as well as singing and whistling enthusiastically when the mood took her, which it often did.

She and her husband Carrol dedicated their lives to social justice and environmental causes. She was a member of many organizations such as SDS, The Red Star Council, New Voice, CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador), Students for a Free Palistine, Bloomington Normal Peace and Justice, League of Revolutionary Struggle and Solidarity.

Family was deeply important to Janice. In addition to hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas she also organized a family reunion every Memorial Day weekend at Lake Schafer in Monticello, IN at the Triplett’s Lighthouse Lodge.

In addition to her husband, Janice is survived by her mother of Arthur; her stepmother, Peggy Peters of Effingham; four children, Mark H. (Borbala) Cox of New York, NY; Heidi Andrews of Findlay, OH; Lillian G. (James Knapp) Cox of Kalamazoo, MI; and Catherine L. (Christopher Witte) Cox of Warrenville. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Éva Mary Cox, and Reed and Katherine Andrews; a sister Karen Shea of Wheeling, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She is preceded in death by her father Warren A Peters.

Janice’s memorial service will be held on Friday June 1st, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal, IL at 1613 E. Emerson St.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Monthly Review, monthlyreview.org, The Baby Fold of Normal IL, Ecology Action Center Normal IL