Laura Cox Obituary

Laura Mae Cox passed away in the early morning hours of Saturday May 24th, 2025, from natural causes. Born on November 24, 1933, in Dugger, Indiana to Gerald Everett Azbell and Edith (White) Azbell, Laura had two elder sisters, Lucille and Rae, who preceded her in death.

Laura Mae, as she was endearingly referred to, attended Lynn High School in Lynn, Indiana. It was there she would meet her husband to be, George William Cox. He was a guard on the Lynn Bulldogs basketball team, and she was a cheerleader rooting him on from the sidelines. During these teen years, she worked for her parents at the local soda shop, Azbell's Diner, on Main Street. She waited tables, cooked, cleaned, and did everything else in between. She often declared that she'd never found a hamburger that lived up to the ones she made on that Azbell Diner's grill.

As the postwar 1940's gave way to the 50's, Laura began dating that basketball player she had cheered for, and on September 11, 1955, George William Cox and Laura Mae Azbell were wed. Almost exactly one year later they welcomed the first of four children, Jeffrey Lane Cox. Along with Jeffrey (Kathy) Cox, Laura is survived by three children, Erin (Scott) Rosson, Marsha (Mark) Thurston, and Chris (Amanda) Cox. From this brood, Laura would be blessed with nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

After George, an architect, graduated from Miami of Ohio University, he and Laura moved to Muncie, Indiana where they resided from 1960-1980. The couple then moved to Dallas, Texas, living there for eight years. During this time Laura enjoyed working at Lord & Taylor's and playing golf under the Texas sun. They would move back to the midwest in 1988 to Cincinnati where they resided until 2000. It was then that they finally found themselves back home again in Indiana (cue the Jim Nabors song) living out the rest of their days in Muncie. George, to whom she was married sixty-two years, passed on July 23, 2017. Laura spent the next eight years enjoying her time in her little house with her little dog Duke, the furry love of her life. Her daughter Marsha, also a Muncie resident, was a constant presence in Laura Mae's life during this time, providing love and support and shared moments to last a lifetime.

Throughout her life Laura Mae loved playing piano, golfing, dancing with George, gardening (even in the most extreme of temperatures), and spending time with her family chatting and laughing. She had a wicked sense of humor and a penchant for lovingly "teasing" her grandkids who all laughed at their silly Grandma Laura, a true character in every sense of the word. She will be missed immeasurably.

Laura's family will gather to celebrate her life, however there will be no public services per Laura's wishes.

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