Mae Cox 1930 to 2023
passed away at the age of 92
Mae was born in 1930. Mae and Phil were married in 1952 had 6 kids and three grandchildren. She was a stay at home mom until the kids grew up but was very active in numerous things. At home she was an active participant (she was a founding member) of the bird club, worked as a secretary for the memorial society, typed theses for doctoral students, taught part time (including teaching her son Jim one year), participated with school activities (including breaking her arm while roller skating with the kids on a school outing), and numerous other things all while taking care of the six kids and growing a large outdoor garden. Mae had a mischievous sense of humour (shared by her mother and her aunts; "the girls"), which was necessary when dealing with six kids and a plethora of pets. April Fools was a day of inspiration for Mae, such as the year she turned all the clocks in the house ahead by an hour, then waking the family up and sending them on their way....
Later in life she was an active member of the Knit and Crochet club and would play bridge with a local group while still taking care of the home and garden.
Mae had written down some of her accomplishments that she was most proud of.
Mae Cox was born and raised in Edmonton and received all of her schooling there.
She entered the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta in 1948, and completed her Bachelor of Education degree in 1981(she said she was a slow learner).
During that time she married Philip Cox and together they raised six children.
Mae joined the Memorial Society in 1960 at the urging of Jim and Mary Campbell.
In 1962 she became the Secretary of the Society, and eventually served for 15 years in that capacity.
In 1971, at the invitation of the Memorial Society of BC., representatives from all Canadian Memorial Societies met in Vancouver to form the Memorial Society of Canada. Mae became the secretary of that national group, and served six years on the national board.
She co-founded an organ donor information organization called Organ Donors Canada, and she was the Executive Director of that group.
In 1985, after being out of the work force for 32 years, Mae was asked by the Lions Club to open and run the Edmonton office of the Lions Eye Bank. Mae retired from that position five years later, in 1990.
Meanwhile, during the late 1970's, the Alberta Government took all funeral related legislation off the books, to the dismay of consumers and the funeral industry. After setting up a task force which toured Alberta, trying how to best correct the situation, a new Act, The Funeral Services Act, was passed, under which the Alberta Services Regulatory Board was established. Mae served as a consumer representative on that board for five years.
Mae went back and served as a recycled board member of the Edmonton Bird Club and the Memorial Society of Edmonton.
Mae had a stroke on March 21 2014. She went to the Royal Alex and then was transferred to the Jubilee Lodge where she lived the last 9 years of her life. Even though she was substantially incapacitated she still had a good life. She was able to go to the dinosaur exhibits at Gibbons, the Muttart Conservatory many times, the Royal Alberta Museum, visits to her home to see the flowers, visits to Borden Park, visits to Kathy and her garden, Jay and his garden, and the many walks around the neighbourhood. She loved to listen to the Oilers on the radio. She received letters, pictures, postcards and notes from family and friends.
The staff at the Royal Alex, and especially the staff at the Jubilee Lodge treated her and her family extremely well. Instead of suffering, Mae had a pleasant life with visits from her family almost every day. Thank you to all the friends and family that came to visit and take care of her over the years.
A special thank you to all the people she dealt with at the Jubilee Lodge that helped make her, and all the residents have a much better life.
On her outings, Jim would take pictures and do a little Photoshop work to make fun of the activities. He would make up large prints so her walls of her room were covered with these pictures.
Mae's favourite thing was to sit in front of the lodge and watch the birds or go down to Rundle park and feed the birds (until the city banned that practice). These are actual photographs of our outings.
Her daughter Helen with a quilt she made
Jim would visit mother during the day and Tom would come in the evening to visit with his dog Austin. Austin knew mother's room and would go right in to see her. When it was time to go Tom would tell Austin to go to the elevator and Austin would go and sit in front of the elevator until Tom caught up.
Here is a copy of the card sent by Austin to the staff at the lodge.
To all the wonderful people at Jubilee Lodge
I will not be around as often and would like everyone to know that I will miss the attention and petting (Austin not Tom). I will try and visit every once in a while to say hello.
Austin
A thank you card from the Cox family
To everyone at the Jubilee Lodge
People at the Jubilee Lodge have treated Mae and our family extremely well. Instead of suffering, Mae had a pleasant life with visits from her family almost every day. Thank you to the staff, the doctors, the nurses, health care aids, maintenance, physiotherapy, secretaries, administration, and the volunteers plus anyone we missed.
You have given Mae and many residents, a much better life.
We are very thankful for your care and dedicated help.
The Cox Family
RIP
March 29 2023
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