Quiet Influence: Inside the Life and Legacy of Richard L Cox Sr.

Updated on: August 11, 2025

Basic Information

A Quiet Backstage: The Kind of Life That Holds a Family Together

I like to think of Richard L Cox Sr. as a character who preferred the wings to the spotlight — the steady hand who tightened bolts while the actors got the applause. Born on January 28, 1931, in Philadelphia and later rooted in the South, Richard’s life reads like a quietly edited chapter of mid-century America: business owner, family man, regional presence. Those two dates — 1931 and 2001 — bracket a seven-decade run that saw towns grow, neighborhoods settle, and a family multiply.

Numbers matter here because they anchor the story. He died on September 3, 2001, at age 70; his granddaughter Coco Arquette arrived on June 13, 2004 — a small, cinematic twist: one generation’s final frame, another’s opening scene. That three-year gap is a neat, human fact that changes the emotional geography of the family: Richard never met Coco, and yet his name threads forward into a world that, for some family members, became public and performative.

The Businesses That Kept the Lights On

If you want a practical image: picture a modest office, ledger books or their modern equivalent, a small fleet of service vans, and a reputation in the community. Richard’s business associations — names like “Cox Pools” and other regional ventures — suggest someone who built tangible things: pools, yards, neighborhood fixtures. These are the sorts of enterprises that anchor towns more reliably than headlines do. They’re the practical arc of a life that measured success in contracts fulfilled, crews managed, and neighbors satisfied.

Here’s another little table to make the practical feel concrete:

Those are not glamorous numbers — but they are durable. The family business model is a recurring motif in American life, and Richard fits that pattern: hands-on entrepreneurship that feeds a family, teaches skills, and leaves a community footprint.

Family as Ensemble Cast

Family here reads like a screenplay with a tight supporting ensemble. Richard’s first marriage to Courteney Bass produced four children: Courteney Cox, Virginia Cox, Richard Cox Jr., and Dottie Cox. That marriage ended in 1974; later he was married to Mary Cox of Augusta until his death in 2001. Those transitions — marriage, divorce, remarriage — are simply the kinds of human edits that shape a domestic narrative.

Courteney Cox is the family member the public knows best, and her career gave a different lens to the family name. But the story is not a single biography; it’s an ensemble piece. Siblings, parents, cousins — Wilmore Pearson Cox and Elizabeth Ann Cox (Lewis) as the previous generation, and Mary Elizabeth Cox, W. Pete Cox Jr, and James L. Cox filling out the roster — all contribute notes to the family chord. The presence of a prominent child doesn’t eclipse the rest; it, instead, refracts family memory into a public light, revealing quieter details that might otherwise remain private.

Dates, Places, and Little Big Facts

Dates are like stage cues — they tell you when an act opens and when it closes. Here are a few that matter:

These are the scaffolding of any family history. You can imagine the house parties, the birthdays, the summers by a pool — literal or metaphorical — that mark years and memories.

The Human Tilt: Small Details That Carry Weight

When I read family histories, I look for texture: a hometown ritual, a business card with an old address, a story of a father giving practical advice that echoes for decades. For Richard there are hints of that texture — a reputation for guiding his children, an emphasis on work ethic, a life lived more for community than for press clippings. Those are the human tilts that make a figure feel real rather than legendary.

If you enjoy backstage access — the small, lived moments that make up a life — this story rewards close attention. There’s a cinematic irony in the way private steadiness can produce public brilliance: one child becomes a star; another inherits a different kind of inheritance — values, work, the quiet courage to build things.

FAQ

Who was Richard L Cox Sr.?

Richard L Cox Sr. was a businessman born January 28, 1931, who lived in the American South and died on September 3, 2001, at age 70.

Was he the father of Courteney Cox?

Yes — Courteney Cox is one of his four children from his marriage to Courteney Bass.

How many children did he have?

He had four children: Courteney Cox, Virginia Cox, Richard Cox Jr., and Dottie Cox.

Who were his spouses?

His first wife was Courteney Bass (divorced 1974) and his later spouse was Mary Cox of Augusta, who was married to him until his death.

Did he meet his granddaughter Coco Arquette?

No — Coco Arquette was born June 13, 2004, three years after Richard’s death in 2001.

What kind of businesses was he involved with?

He was associated with family-operated, regional businesses such as “Cox Pools” and related local ventures, focused on service and community needs.