Like all of you we have been so saddened by the loss of this great man. He is such an amazing example to all of us. Ryan has always lived life to the fullest, and has been a friend to everyone that knew him.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his sweet family at this time. We will miss him dearly.
Ryan William Cox, 28, of American Fork, passed away tragically, Saturday March 29, 2008 as a result of a motorcycle accident at the Little Sahara Sand Dunes.Ryan was born April 17, 1979 in American Fork to Michael Ray and Deborah Van Orden Cox. He grew up in Pleasant Grove and graduated from Pleasant Grove High School in 1997. He then served an LDS Mission in the West Indies.
Ryan and Katie DeWitt were married on December 8, 2000 in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. He became the successful business owner of a roofing and construction company. Most importantly he was a devoted father to his three beautiful daughters. He enjoyed life to the fullest and spread that joy to everyone he met. His generous heart and fun loving personality will live on through all those who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his wife Katie: three daughters: Asha McKay, Sage Jane, and Zaya Sue; parents: Michael Ray and Deborah Cox, Pleasant Grove: five siblings: Michael (Aimee) Cox, Pleasant Grove; Karen (Linn) Beck, Mendon, UT; Stephanie (Michael) Kendall, Farmington; Stacey Cox, Pleasant Grove; Justin Cox, Pleasant Grove; grandmother, Jerry Van Orden, Blackfoot, ID; Jackie (Rich) Maxfield, South Ogden; and many loving family and friends.
Friends may call Wednesday evening at the Olpin Family Mortuary 494 South 300 East, Pleasant Grove from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 3, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in the American Fork West Stake Center, 500 North 700 West, American Fork, Utah. An additional viewing will be held at the church one hour prior to services. Interment will be in the American Fork City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinfamilymortuary.com.
Donations can be made at Central Bank to the Ryan Cox Memorial Fund to benefit his wife and children.
Published in the Daily Herald on 4/1/2008.
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24 comments:
When I first heard the news about Ryan I was devestated. I have had many great experiences with Ryan. Ryan gave me my first real job out of high school as a roofer. I owe a lot to Ryan for the person that I am today. He will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his beautiful family.
As you requested, please feel free to use the picture of Ryan on our blog. We already miss him and feel like we barely got to know him.
www.marqueandsarah.blogspot.com
We can't express in words how much we miss Ryan (Coxman). He was always there to lend a hand no matter the circumstances. As we sit here as a group (Justin, Jamie, & Dax, Trevor & Deborah, Ryan, Brea & Kaelan, and Brett) and reminisce about all our memories it is apparent how much he impacted all of our lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with Katie and their beautiful girls. We love you!
Our thoughts and prayers are with Katie & her sweet girls. We will miss Ryan and his friendship. He has always been someone who accepts and befriends people for what and who they are. We appreciate the example he has been to us, and everyone around him. He will be missed and will always be remembered!
Kyle & Jamie Blaisdell
I met Ryan back in 1999 as missionary companions in Guyana South America. He was a Dutch speaking Elder in Suriname but was transfered to Guyana to teach for a time. I was the lucky elder to be able to serve with him. Over next few years I was able to see Ryan as a great missionary and friend. He taught me what humility and dedication was and how to love the people. He loved the people and they loved him. He worked hard and loved to serve. These memories will always be with me. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Nate Kolberg
We are so very sad for your loss. Ryan will be missed by so many people including us. Ryan was always such a wonderful example of accepting of others and always made people feel like they were important to him!! Our prayers and thoughts are with Katie and her darling girls, as well as Ryan's family.
We love you!
Becca & Levi Adams
My thoughts and prayers are with you! Ryan will be greatly missed and never forgotten and family gatherings won't be the same without you. Until we meet again Ryan :)
Love,
Christy Hales
Our thoughts and prayers to Katie and the girls, we love you. Ryan was always so nice to us and such a genuion guy. He will be miss by alot of people.
Caleb and Michelle Houghton
Sasha and Amber,
Thanks for putting this up. It is fun to see him with his family. We didn't get along to well in highschool but he was always got people to laugh. Thanks again.
We love Ryan so much. He always had a smile on his face. As we were thinking of the many memories we have with the Cox family, we thought of the time that my little brother was in a porta-potty and Ryan wanted to leave the job site. So Ryan thought that the best way to hurry Josh up was to get in his truck and ram into the porta-potty. Josh said he has never been so scared in his life. Then he walks out and Ryan is almost on the ground laughing. The good times will be missed. To the Cox family, we love you.
Ryan was always a friend to everyone. He had a great zeal for life and adventure. He always had a smile on his face and could make you smile. He was the first to introduce me to rock climbing and Violent Femmes. Still to this day I can't help but think of Ryan whenever I hear Blister in the Sun. Our thoughts and prayers are with Katie and the Cox family.
Jessica and Luke Cook
I just found out today about Ryan. I haven't seen him since high school but he was always someone I was happy to see at school every day. He was such a great, happy, fun and funny guy.
My condolences go out to his wife and beautiful baby girls. They will definitely have an angel watching over them.
Sincerely,
Malia Tatom (Ervin now)
I didn't know Ryan personally, but I did katie's hair a few times and just being a pg girl I just wanted to say I was sorry to here about your loss, I have thought alot about your family the last little bit and keep you in my prayers! I hope the best for your little family! ~ Robyn (Goodman) Bullock
Natalie (Murdock) Whitely wrote....
You know... I haven't seen Ryan in years!!! Well...the last time I came out to Utah
to visit, I actually ran into him. How odd is that???!! We visited for a while and
caught up on life. We were neighbors throughout Jr. High and High School.
Ryan was always sincere!... He worried if he didn't see you at church or even at
school. He always wanted to make sure things were ok! :)
But, like many have said, his personality was outgoing
and full of life and yet he was laid back and nonjudgmental! If only we could
all be like that!!! I'm just so glad that I was given the chance to say Hello
and Bye as well. How sad that such a precious life was taken too early. Natalie Whiteley
Ryan, is my brother,friend, role model and inspiration. He has been such an great influence throughout my life. I always wanted to be just like him. Where ever he went people were drawn to him, anyone who met him felt as if they were best friends. I want to thank everyone who contributes to this site, it helps us his family keep him alive, we love your comments and all you have done for his and our family, stacey cox
I have always thought Ryan was a great guy, but after attending the funeral, I realize that I only knew the smallest % of how great a guy he was. His funeral was amazing. There were soooo many people in attendance and it was obvious just how much he is loved. The speakers did a great job of presenting an idea of what kind of man Ryan was. I don't recall a time or an event where I laughed and cried more than I did today.
Ryan lived a life by a simple code; be kind to others and have fun. I truly believe he knew how his Heavenly Father expects us to live. His brother, brother in law and best friend gave amazing talks that touched each of us. His brother in law shared a letter that Katie wrote to express her feelings. What a special family. It was an event that you only experience every so often. An event that leaves you thinking. An event that causes you to evaluate your own life. Ryan was truly a great example, and I never really knew how precious he was until today. I can be a better person. I need to be a better person.
I will be a better person and Ryan's death will make the world a better place if I choose to be more like him. I am sure there are many others that will choose to be kinder to others and enjoy life more. Again, thanks, Ryan.
I would like to thank everyone for their love and support at this difficult time. I appreciate all the time, effort, flowers, prayers and donations that have been made on our behalf. I feel very blessed to have so many people who love and support our family and Ryan's family. I know Ryan would appreciate it. Thank you for this blog. I love to hear all the comments and the stories about Ryan that I haven't heard. They make the burden seem a little lighter. He was such a fun person and father and truely a great husband. I can't exlplain how empty my world feels now but please know that your kindness helps feel that void a bit. Please continue to share any comments or stories that you remember, I would love to be able to share them with the girls as they grow to help them know how truely special their daddy is. Thank you-Thank you.
We are neighbors and ward members of the Cox family. We remember when they moved into their beautiful new home on 700 North. We were thrilled to see such a wonderful addition moved into the neighborhood. It has been fun to watch this family live life to its fullest, make new friendships,and bless the lives of those around them, as they have served others with charitable acts of kindness. What a blessing it has been to serve in the Primary organization with Ryan and Katie. It was fun each week to watch them as they managed their own little family as well as their Primary class. Ryan was such a great daddy. It was inspiring to watch him help Katie keep their girls reverent during Sacrament meeting. From taking a fussy baby out, to changing a diaper, and entertaining the girls during the meetings, Ryan was a great example to all of us of being a super and fun dad! He was always so friendly and outgoing to everyone he met. We loved hearing him bear his testimony of how much he loved his family. We will all truly miss him, and feel so blessed to have know him.
Thanks Katie for your sincere testimony last week in Sacrament meeting. You are such a special person and we love you and your girls.
We learn from you and your examples during this very challenging time in your life. It is such a blessing to know that we can all be together again because of our Savior ,Jesus Christ. May you snuggle up to the Savior and let Him make your burden lighter. Thanks for enriching our lives and for helping to make our testimonies stronger.
Love,
Mike and Sherilyn Shelley
I found your blog through a friend of a friend of a friend - an online path I probably couldn't retrace if I tried. Anyhow, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. My father died of a motorcycle accident May 29, 1982. I was four days old. The accident actually took place 9 months prior and he was in a comma throughout the duration of my mother's pregnancy - They didn't even know she was pregnant. She had such great support from her friends and family. I pray you have the same. My heart goes out to you and your girls. I will not be in Utah on Memorial weekend, however I will try and donate a bit. It's pretty ironic how close in date your run is in relation to my father's death. For some reason I just feel like I need to help somehow.
Anyhow, your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
~ Danielle
Ryan I never thought you were ready to leave this world. You were always the one to gather every one together. You would drag us out to play Halo or go to the Sand Dunes or go snowmobiling. You always had time to help your friends and family with any thing. It was neat to watch you be the dad you are with your little girls. You were more than a brother you were my best friend. You would invite me to do things with you just so I felt included. You had more friends than I could count. As your older brother I should have been your example, but you were my example of how to have fun, keep your standards high, not let life get you down. I remember when you were younger and you used to tag along with me and my friends. You looked up to me and now I will always be looking up at you. I love you and thank God that we were brothers. You would always listen to me when I needed to vent or just looking for some one to understand. I never heard you complain or be down on life. You give me inspiration to live life to its fullest, not to get down on the little stuff, play hard but always make time for the important stuff your family. You probly have no Idea how much you will be missed or how many people you affected. Even I was surpised how many people just loved you. We are better for having known you. I want you to know that I will always be here for your Katey and your girls for what ever they need. I want them to know their dad through his brother. I can never replace you, but I will try to help fill the void you left, you have pretty big foot prints to fill. I can only say when it is all over with life, I know many people are hoping they can say that they did half the things in life that you accomplished in yours. You did not waste any time in life. I hope I will live a life to where i can have a legacy like you. I will never forget you or your example, your goofy smile or jokes. You brought happiness to all you were around. I know you have a great work that you are called to. People just want to be around you. Your influence is never ending. Til we meet again.
Your brother Mike
Mike Cox (Pleasant Grove, UT)
Wow Mike, you couldn't have said it better. Ryan was a great person. He was always fun to be around and he was an example to a lot of people. One memory that I have to keep laughing at is one spring/summer we were standing in your parents front yard talking. As we went to leave (I'm sure it was me, Kim & who know who else there) Ryan started hugging everyone goodbye. Well, everyone except me. He told me he couldn't hug me because I was "your girl". Yeah, that made me pretty happy. I thought it was the coolest thing to be "your girl" according to your brother. I had the biggest crush on you! (To my credit, lets all remember that I was 15 and not read too much into this!) Anyway, you know that I love you and your family and I am so sorry for this. It must be so hard to deal with, but I know what a wonderful family you have, and how strong the Cox's are. Ryan will always be there, watching out for you. He kept you out of a lot of trouble and I can't seem him stopping anytime soon. :-) I love all of you! You are in my thoughts and prayers. Mmm, fick! Love you, Robyn.
I haven't seen Ryan since I moved away after 8th grade but I remember him in junior high. He was always such a fun and happy guy and from what I've read from friends and family members he became a wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Dani (Flegal) Litchfield
I have not seen Ryan since Highschool. He was such a great guy I had a lot of fun times with him. I am so sorry for your loss he will be missed!
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