|
|
Mike Moser Few have Crossville pride Few have Crossville pride like Willis I received quite a shock a week ago today
when an early morning phone call from Cindy Cooper informed me
that her daddy, former Crossville Mayor Willis Cox, has passed
away during the night. I am not sure whether it was the early morning
cobwebs that dulled the news or the sudden shock, but it didn't
really sink in until after we ended the conversation and hung
up the phone. I think the general public will never know
just how much Willis Cox loved the City of Crossville and loved
being mayor. I find that a bit sad in that he was in office
for three terms, starting in the mid-1980s, at a time when Crossville
and Cumberland County began experiencing such phenomenal growth,
and rather despite this giant influx of new people, businesses
and industry, the city was able to keep up and prosper. I will never forget the first time I met Willis.
It was in the old Chronicle building on Main St. and I
had heard that someone named Cox was going to run for mayor.
Didn't think he had a prayer because I had never heard of him. But then, I had never heard of Mamie Lou,
either. After Willis brought in his campaign announcement,
which I still have, I was even more convinced that Willis would
not be the next mayor of the City of Crossville. But, then again,
I didn't know his heart, and I didn't know his work ethic and
I didn't know Mamie Lou. While to most he did not make a good first
impression, I liked Willis from the start. We clicked and shared
a common sense of humor. Willis was unpretentious and what you
saw is what you got. He didn't have a persona in public and a
private countenance. And because sometimes honesty can be brutal,
I didn't think he had a chance, especially running for the first
time. As the campaign evolved, I learned what a
hard worker in the Democrat Party Mamie Lou was. I also heard
lots of people talking about voting for Willis and when the votes
were tallied, Willis Cox was our new mayor. He worked hard, handled difficult issues and
events and loved every waking minute of being mayor of Crossville. Sometimes after an especially grueling council
meeting, Willis would grab me and say, "C'mon, bud. We're
going to Shoney's." And we would. If we had not had supper,
we would grab a meal. Most often it was his favorite, apple pie
and ice cream and cups of coffee. And then we would ride. And ride. And ride. His expertise being in roads, he obviously
kept a check on street projects in the city. Sometimes we would
be riding along and Willis would say, "Look at that ...
look how they built the grade on that street ..." I couldn't
see a thing but Willis could spot a flaw in engineering or design
from the cab of his pickup. We laughed and talked serious and weighed
many heavy issues inside that pickup truck as we rode, sometimes
into the early morning hours. Willis suffered with his illness for more
than a year. He had very little quality of life during those
months, and one of the hardest things for him to not be able
to do was ride in his pickup truck and check on the city he loved. It might seem strange to some but the man
who I didn't know prior to his seeking the mayor's seat turned
out to be one of the best friends I made after coming to Crossville.
My thoughts and prayers are with Mamie Lou, Cathy, Cindy and Andrea and their families. And thanks for sharing with me this man who loved the city of Crossville so much. |