Lawson Alexander Cox II

 Lawson Alexander Cox, II, of Covington, Georgia, age 94, passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. He was born on December 27, 1931, to Felix Otterbine Cox and Jennie Florence (Williams) Cox in Knox County, Tennessee.

The youngest of nine children, Lawson moved with his family to Decatur, Georgia, in 1938. He was a graduate of Decatur Boys High (1949) and attended Georgetown College in Kentucky before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1953.

Lawson served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Military Police and was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone during the Korean War period. Following his honorable discharge in 1955, he worked as a DeKalb County police officer and later as an insurance adjuster. He attended Emory Law School and Atlanta Law School where he earned his Legum Baccalaureus (LL.B., Bachelor of Laws) in 1957 and his Legum Magister (LL.M., Master of Laws) in 1958.

Specializing in insurance and workers compensation law, Lawson practiced law in Atlanta, initially working with his father at Cox & Cox and later becoming a partner at Savell, Williams, Cox & Angel. After retiring from the firm in 1985, he continued as an independent law practitioner for several years. He was a member of and served on several committees for the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association and was a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.

Lawson married Joyce Patricia Wages on May 20, 1962 and enjoyed a 63-year marriage. The minister who performed their wedding ceremony recommended to any couples he married to renew their wedding vows each year on their wedding anniversary, as a way to keep their love for each other and the vows made to each other fresh in their hearts and minds. Lawson and Joyce followed that counsel, and renewed their marriage vows every May 20 in front of a minister for 62 consecutive years.

An avid antique car enthusiast, Lawson began restoring automobiles in the 1970s and received several National First Prize awards at car shows. His first purchase was a 1928 Buick which he restored to showroom condition. He later focused exclusively on antique Fords, owning and restoring a 1934 Ford Model 40, and 1936 Ford Cabriolet convertible and most recently a 1935 Ford pickup truck. He was a member of the Early V-8 Ford Club of America for decades, an active member and president of the Georgia chapter, and a founding member of the Covington chapter.

In his retirement years, Lawson developed a passion for acting. He performed in local theater productions, including Ayn Rand’s play The Night of January 16th. He was an extra in motion pictures filmed in the Covington area, including The Fighting Temptations (2003) and Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004), as well as television episodes of I’ll Fly Away and In the Heat of the Night.

A lifelong Christian, Lawson was a member of the United Methodist Church. He sang in several church choirs and served in other capacities, including volunteering at the Decatur United Methodist Children’s Home, serving as chairman of the Pastor Parish Committee at Redan United Methodist Church, and serving on the board at Ousley United Methodist Church. He most recently was a member of Covington First United Methodist Church.

He combined his Christian faith and love of the law by developing a presentation based on the Walter M. Chandler book The Trial of Jesus from a Lawyer’s Standpoint. Over the years, he presented this topic at several church congregations throughout Georgia during the Lenten and Easter season.

He was an active member of Elks Lodge #1806 in Covington. He served as secretary for several years and was awarded 2004-2005 Outstanding Secretary by the Georgia Elks Association. He was also the chapter representative at Elks Aidmore Children’s Center in Conyers.

His community service also included acting as a volunteer legal advisor for Habitat for Humanity in Covington.

Lawson was preceded in death by his parents Felix and Jennie Cox and siblings Amy Cox, Phyllis Buhl, Felix Cox Jr., Dorothy Matthews, Elizabeth Lindsey, Virginia Keith, Roy Cox, and Carl Cox.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joyce Wages Cox, and his children and their families: Shelley Scoggins (Scott) of Covington, Georgia; Tyla Blom (Steve) of Cedar Park, Texas; and Lawson “Trip” Cox, III (Sheryl) of Kennesaw, Georgia.

He is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Chelsea Metherell (Jonathan), Brandon Scoggins (Sloane), Ben Quarles (Breauna), Nick Blom, Lauren Cox, Christian Blom, Victoria Thomas (Rohan), Rachel Lowe (Brett), Lilli Gilchrist, Audrey Gilchrist and Autumn Blom.

Also surviving the deceased are 7 great grandchildren: Violet Metherell, LynnLeigh Scoggins, Indiana Metherell, Colton Scoggins, Gale Metherell, August Scoggins and Weston Lowe.

Lawson left a legacy of family, faith and friendship and will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Covington First United Methodist Church, 1113 Conyers Street SW, Covington, Georgia 30014. A reception with a light lunch will follow the service in the church fellowship hall. Interment at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia, is being scheduled for a future date.

In lieu of flowers, please send a contribution to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (https://t2t.org).