Carmel Rosalie Cox

September 4, 1936 - May 3, 2019

Carmel Rosalie Cox, 82, of Midland, died May 3, 2019, at Novant Medical Center in Matthews, NC. Mel was born in Brooklyn, NY, on September 4, 1936, the daughter of Salvatore and Mildred Locovare Spagnolo. At a young age, her family moved to New Jersey. On February 22, 1969, she married the love of her life, John Cox, in Winfield Park, New Jersey. They just celebrated 50 years of marriage. Mel worked for the Doris Duke Estate in Hillsborough, NJ, tending to the greenhouses and indoor display gardens. In addition, she gave tours of the gardens and worked in the office taking reservations. When not working, she enjoyed gardening at home, bowling, cooking (especially the large family dinners on Sunday), and was a fan of Elvis. She also loved animals and had a multitude of animals through the years: cats, dogs, birds, fish, guinea pigs, hamsters, ducks, chickens, horses, raccoons and squirrels (until they were old enough to live on their own). Most of all, she loved spending time with her family and friends, and she will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all who knew her. Mel is survived by her husband, John Cox; her children: Arlene (husband Baden) Soong of Winfield Park, NJ; Paul Faulkner of Midland, NC; Eric Cox of Charlotte; and Denise (husband Robert) Nunez of Matthews; three grandchildren: Victoria, Anthony and Nathan Nunez; and two sisters: Terese Howard and Alice (husband Lou) Mankowski. Mel is further survived by her dog, Toby, as well as numerous other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents. Mel’s family has given the family of Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home the privilege of caring for her and for them. Services will be held on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at the funeral home, 4715 Margaret Wallace Road. Visitation will begin at 9:00 am followed by a service at 11:00 am. Interment will take place at a later time.