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Elli Cox

Elli Cox

Elli Cox of Boulder died September 16th at Frasier Meadows in Boulder, Colorado. She was 79 years old. The daughter of Ralph and Mildred Emerick, she was born in 1938 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Elli’s childhood was spent in Parkersburg and she met her first husband while attending college in West Virginia. That marriage brought the couple to Boulder, Colorado where Elli would spend the rest of her life. Following a divorce, Elli met and married James “Jim” Cox on Big Horn Mountain in Gold Hill in 1967. The couple lived in Gold Hill for several years and remained a part of the community for the rest of their lives. They were members of the Gold Hill Club. Her marriage to Jim led to two multi-year overseas assignments through IBM, one in Geneva, Switzerland, the other in Tokyo, Japan. The cultures of these two countries had a great impact on Elli and influenced the rest of her life. Elli worked in a variety of departments at the University of Colorado as an executive secretary. Her last position was as the Assistant to the Academic Dean of Semester at Sea, which allowed her to travel around the world as part of the program. While in Japan Elli was on the Board of College Women’s Association of Japan, heading up the art program for Japanese children. Soon after returning to Boulder she conducted workshops for companies to give their employees a boost in their understanding of Japanese culture. Elli studied Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) and Sumi-e (Japanese calligraphy), while in Japan, and upon returning to Colorado began a many years long relationship with clay. She participated in Open Studios for several years and is well known for her hand shaped pottery. Elli participated in many shows and has pieces in several local displays. She was an active member of the art community in Boulder for many years from her home at 16th and Cedar – a very close community of creative friends and neighbors. Survivors include her son, John Andrew Cox of Denver and his girlfriend Kristy Alexander. Also her brother Rodney Emerick and his wife Sally Emerick of Parkersburg, West Virginia. She was preceded in death by her beloved Jim Cox, as well as two daughters, Jenny and Sheri. A memorial service will be held at Crist Mortuary, Boulder, on Friday September 21, 2018 at 10:00am.