Tawana Cox

by her children and grandchildren.

Tawana was born on October 5, 1935 in Dallas, Texas to parents Bernice Lorene and Luther Kay Baird.

Her only sibling was her sister, Billie, who was ten years old when Tawana was born. Billie was

like a second mother to her and her best friend.

Tawana was quite a tomboy. She loved to climb trees and play softball where she was later given

the nickname “TK”. Tawana said, “My daddy didn’t have a son, so I decided to be one for him."

Her dad bought her a gentle horse, named Old Pearl, and later a black registered quarter horse

colt named Duster. She spent the better part of many week-ends riding horses with her friends

in the open fields of an abandoned airport.

Her father and brother-in-law owned a candy factory during World War II, when sugar was rationed.

Tawana worked at the factory, wrapping and boxing candy bars. Although her friends thought she

was the luckiest girl alive, she did not like the candy, as it was made with syrups instead of sugar.

During her high school years, she worked at a shoe store and was a bookkeeper at a meat packing plant.

Tawana graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1954. In high school, she was a cheerleader,

an honorable mentioned guard playing basketball, a National Honor Society member and the annual staff

business manager. She was voted most popular sophomore girl and best personality senior girl.

Journalism was her favorite subject and algebra was her least favorite. After graduating high school,

she went to x-ray school at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. She worked as a radiology technician until she

retired at age 62.

Tawana met her high school sweetheart, Charlie Cox, in 1952 when Tawana was a sophomore and Charlie was

a freshman. Charlie offered her a ride home from school in his black Ford and that very evening asked

her to a Young Life event. Tawana said “I was completely taken with him. He was the tall, dark,

handsome guy of my dreams!”

They were married in 1956 and moved to Austin because Charlie had a full basketball scholarship to UT.

While in Austin, she worked to support the family in x-ray and also as a stenographer for the Texas

Department of Public Safety. They started their family in Austin with Robert being born in 1958.

After they moved back to the Dallas area, Rhonetta was born in 1961, followed by Rana in 1966.

Tawana was a girl scout leader for many years and enjoyed camping, canoeing and horseback riding with

the girls in her troop. The girls in her troop say she made a great positive impact on their lives

and remained in contact with her for years to come.

Tawana thrived on family gatherings at her home with her kids and grandkids, family reunions with her

East Texas relatives and getting together with old high school and work friends.

In her final months, she enjoyed spending time with her doggie-friend, Little Bit, who she called her baby.

Tawana accepted Jesus as her personal Savior at age 11. She was a member of the First Baptist Church

of Grapevine where she sang in the choir and was active in Sunday school for many years. Tawana had a

child-like faith, truly believing God was in control and would take care of her and He always did.

Tawana is survived by her son, Robert Cox and wife Robin; daughter Rhonetta and husband Mike Andreasen,

and daughter Rana and husband Ronnie Zoch; grandchildren: Daniel with wife Taylor and children, Cooper and

Charlie; Jarrett; Aaron; John; Rose with husband Justin; Melody; Kyra with Travis; Leah with husband Brandon

and son, Levi; Christa; Nick; and Rachel with husband Will and son Wyatt, and many nieces and nephews.

Donations may be made to First Baptist Church, Grapevine, 301 East Texas Street, Grapevine, TX 76051.

Please indicate Senior Adult Ministry in memory of Tawana Cox in the memo.

There will be a funeral service to honor Tawana in Grapevine, Texas, on November 10 at J.E. Foust and Son

Funeral Home, 523 S. Main St. Grapevine, Texas, at 11:00 am. There will be a visitation from 10 to 11 am

and again after the service from 12 pm to 1 pm. The graveside service will be held at Bluebonnet Hills,

5725 Colleyville Blvd. Colleyville, Texas at 1:30 pm.