Gone, but Not Forgotten

The following classmate is Gone, but not Forgotten. What follows on this page is information received when notified of the death.

Joseph James Cox, Jr

James graduated from Number Three High School, studied Aeronautical Engineering at N.C. State University, and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) with a MS in Engineering Science. He earned a Master’s of Science Degree in Astronautics from Purdue University and received his PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Arizona State University.

After graduation from the USAFA, he served in the U.S. Air Force for twenty three years. He began his military career as a pilot of F4C jets at RAF Bentwaters, England. During the Vietnam War, he was a fighter pilot and Aircraft Commander, based at Cam Rahn Bay, South Vietnam. He completed 169 combat missions. Later James was an instructor pilot at Williams Air Force Base and taught in Engineering Mechanics department at the USAF Academy. After completing his PhD, he returned as an Associate Professor at the Academy and was the Chief of several USAFA research teams. As Director of Space Systems Planning in Los Angeles, California, James was responsible for developing the Space Division corporate position on technology and Program Manager for the Military System Technology Model (MSSTM) that identified technologies to support advanced space system concepts. He was a member of the NASA Structures and Materials Advisory Committee. While working at the Pentagon, he served as Deputy for Space Defense providing technical advice for the research and engineering of several programs including the Space Defense Anti-Satellite (ASAT) program and the Space Interceptor.

After he retired from the Air Force, James worked at Martin Marietta on space defense projects including Brilliant Pebbles and as an aircraft engineering consultant at Boeing. James was the son of the late J.J. and Gladys Cox of Patterson Springs. He is survived by three sons (Brent, Michael, and Barry Cox) one daughter (Tami Cox), three grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, two sisters - Ruth Quinn Stewart (Joe) of Columbia, S.C. and Betsy Burkett of Detroit, Mi.- one brother, Bill Cox of Shelby, N.C, and seven nieces and nephews. James wrote several novels and enjoyed discussing politics with a good cigar and a good bourbon beside his pool in Orlando. He will be greatly missed!

James was buried at Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado on September 18, 2019.