Hospital dedicates lounge to fireman who drowned

May 18, 2008 09:04 pm

— By Debbie Robinson
news@joplinglobe.com
Claudia Cox said her husband, Marion L. Cox Jr., would have approved of a nurses’ lounge because as a firefighter, he knew about the volumes of paperwork that come with any job in emergency services.
Cox said her husband always told her that after the work was done, there still remained all of the reports to be filed.
“He would have liked to have this to do his paperwork,” she said.
Freeman Hospital West on Sunday afternoon dedicated the emergency services lounge to Marion Cox, a firefighter with the Joplin Fire Department. The ceremony was attended by family members, emergency medical workers, and members of the Joplin and Carl Junction fire departments.
A plaque honoring Cox, 51, was placed on the wall at the entrance to the lounge.
Cox died in March of an accidental drowning while kayaking on Center Creek at Carl Junction, but his memory will carry on with family and friends — especially his son Mark, 20, who will be an emergency medical technician after graduation today.
“I got bit by the bug at a young age,” he said.
His father also was an emergency medical technician.
Said Claudia Cox: “It makes me proud. Any time a kid follows in Dad’s footsteps, it makes me proud.”
Mark’s brother, Mike, also attended Sunday’s ceremony.
Claudia Cox described her husband as the type of guy who was always dedicated to his job.
“I knew how much he loved his job,” she said, brushing back tears. “He was always there 30 minutes before he needed to be.”
Joplin Mayor Gary Shaw read a resolution honoring Cox and thanked the emergency workers who daily lay down their lives for residents.
K. Alice Breinig, chief clinical officer at Freeman, described how much Cox meant to the people at the hospital.
“We were sad to lose a great part of our medical community,” she said.
Marion Cox was a graduate of Carl Junction High School.
He worked many years at Deem’s Family Center and then at EaglePicher Precision Products, where he was promoted to lead man. He began his career with the Joplin Fire Department on Jan. 7, 1995, and was promoted to driver engineer in July 1998. He became a captain in July 2001 and acting battalion chief in November 2007.
He pursued his associate of arts degree in fire science at Crowder College and was due to graduate in May. He also had attended Ozark Christian College and Missouri Southern State University. He had worked part time for Metro Emergency Transport System in Joplin and was a captain with Carl Junction Volunteer Fire Department.


Moment of silence

Sunday’s ceremony included a moment of silence for another firefighter, Tyler Casey, 21, who worked for the Seneca Area Fire Protection District. He died while warning residents of the deadly tornado that ripped through Newton County on May 10.

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