Edward "Roy" Leroy Cox

Edward Leroy “Roy” Cox, 81, of Sumter, South Carolina, passed away on Thursday, September 17, 2026. Born to George Edward Cox and Wilma Eleanor Player Cox, he grew up in a large family of brothers and sisters and graduated from Furman High School. When family and friends talk about Roy, many of the stories they tell are funny ones. He had a playful side, liked being silly, and enjoyed making people laugh. There are plenty of stories about him that will be told—and laughed about—for years to come. Roy was a devoted Christian and wanted other people to know Jesus. He wasn’t shy about asking someone about their faith or sharing his own. It mattered to him that the people he met knew about Jesus and the message of salvation. Much of Roy’s life was spent building. He learned first from his father, a carpenter, working alongside him as an apprentice. Later, while working at General Electric, he had the opportunity to earn a degree in engineering. His career eventually took him to North Carolina, where he built and renovated houses as a contractor, taught contracting classes at the local community college, and later worked as a project manager at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he eventually retired. He is survived by his children including Amanda Cox; his brother, George Gary Cox (Virginia); his sister, Patsy Lee Cox Dees; and family members Linda Marie Ford Cox, Roxie Cox, and Clayton Hearne, along with extended family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Harold Warren King; and his sisters, Ann King Marsh, Helen Carolyn King McLeod, and Pamela Jean Cox Davis. His family entrusts him to God’s care, with hope in the promise of rest, the gift of grace, and a peace beyond this life. A memorial gathering will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in the Family Life Center at Bethel Baptist Church in Sumter, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Bethel Baptist Church in Roy’s memory..