Claudia Jane Cox (Lowe), 73, of Mead, Okla., passed away peacefully in her home on August 25, 2021 after a tenacious battle with cancer. She is now at peace with her Savior.
She was born in Denison, Texas to Claude and Anna Jane Lowe on May 11, 1948. At the age of 9, she moved from McAlester, Okla. to Oklahoma City, Okla.. She graduated as a proud Knight of Northwest Classen High School in 1966. Following graduation, she attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
During her 40 years in education, she earned a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist and added special education on to her license. She taught in Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, and North Carolina. She loved teaching, mentoring, and writing curriculum at all levels. The last 20 years of her career in education were spent at Randolph Middle School in Charlotte, NC, where she was known and loved by staff and students as the “Smiley Lady” and “C-squared.”
During her years as an educator, Claudia worked numerous other jobs including being an adjunct instructor at Central Piedmont Community College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Although her favorite job, besides being a mother, was being the Head Resident Counselor at UNCC Summer Ventures Science and Mathematics. In her 20 years as the head counselor, she touched and inspired many young adults and left a lasting impression on their lives.
Over the course of her life, she acquired countless friends and built lasting relationships. An extraordinary woman and a true people person, she was a charismatic leader and effective communicator who, out of love, would always tell it like it was. She was a thoughtful gift giver who found joy in bringing smiles to other people’s faces. She loved children and had a natural ability to speak their language, earning their love, trust, and respect. Although she battled cancer the last eight years of her life, she used her battle victories to encourage and inspire her fellow Chemo Warriors. She used the talents and opportunities that God blessed her with to foster the growth in others and help them thrive.
As a lifelong chaos coordinator, she liked to spend her down time organizing, doing puzzles, and working on projects. She had a love for smiley faces, education, learning, reading, and entertaining. She loved to play games, travel, go on boat rides, spend time with family and friends, go to the beach, visit with neighbors by way of Opal, watch the hummingbirds while front porch sitting, but most of all, she loved to shop! She was a proud mother and grandmother who fiercely loved her husband, children, grandchildren, extended family, friends, pets, and above all, her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Preceding Claudia in death is her father, Claude Dewey Lowe, Jr.
She is survived by her loving spouse of 46 years, Phillip Donald Cox of Mead, Okla.; her three daughters, Annie Leigh Cox and “non son in-law” Jerry Graham of Choctaw, Okla., Sadie Jane Hogue and husband Brandon Hogue of Collierville, Tenn. with their daughter Diana, and Emily Gail Schnabel and husband Nicholas Schnabel of Plymouth, Mich. with their children Cal and Caroline; her mother, Anna Jane Richardson Lowe of Oklahoma City, Okla., sister, Linda Nelson and husband Glenn Nelson of Keller, Texas; sister, Nancy Trent of Oklahoma City, Okla.; brother in-law, Marc Cox and Jeannine Cox of Naples, Fla., and sister in-law Katy Stinson and husband Linnie Stinson of Mead, Okla. She is also survived by her beloved nieces, Amy and Scott Bartly of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Destiny Higgins of Blanchard, Okla., Kortney and Carl Anderson of New Orleans, La., Kara and Jon Henderson of Mead, Okla. and Shelby Cox of Plano, Texas; and nephews, Matthew Brown of Mead, Okla., Ryan Brown of Mead, Okla., Jim and Jen Trent of Edmond, Okla., Bobby and Malin Nelson of Stockholm, Sweden, Mike Trent of Oklahoma City, Okla., Micah and Jessica Brown of Durant, Okla., and Tyler and Lezlee Stinson of Mead, Okla.; as well as many great-nieces and nephews.
The memorial service will be held at Saint John’s Episcopal Church of Durant, Okla. (515 Beech Street Durant, OK 74701) on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 at 10 a.m.
Dress – bright colors encouraged!
Services are under the direction of Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home in Durant, Okla. www.holmescoffeymurray.com