Monty Woodall Cox
- Published: January 8, 2025
Monty Woodall Cox, born Sept. 26, 1945, in Durham, North Carolina, died at Friends Care Community on Dec. 28, 2024.
An only child, Monty was born to Alfred LeRoy Cox and Eva Avery Woodall Cox. He was very close to his cousins, Wilbur, Ann and Susan Woodall, who lived in Clayton, an hour east of Durham. During his childhood, Monty would play with friends, had a pet parakeet, and earned his Eagle Scout badge. Monty graduated from Duke University with honors in history. After graduating, he felt a calling to ordained ministry, and earned his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He served as a chaplain at several New York City hospitals, including Memorial Sloan Kettering and New York Hospital.
In 1968, he met Carol Ruth Matteson in New York City. They became engaged and married in the Union Seminary Chapel that same year. Monty was ordained as a deacon in 1971 and an elder in 1975 in the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 1977, he attended Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute in Manhattan to become a pastoral psychotherapist. Monty joined the staff of the Riverside Church Pastoral Counseling Center in upper Manhattan, where he worked until 1992.
Monty and his wife, Carol, a fellow minister, raised two sons, Christopher and Kevin. Unusual for the time, Monty was devoted to equally sharing caretaking of the children and household responsibilities for the family. After being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Monty stopped working in 1992 and did more childcare and meal preparation while Carol worked full-time as a minister and district superintendent in the Methodist Church.
In his younger years, Monty took memorable trips to Nicaragua, helping with construction and teaching in a rural village, and traveled around Europe. With Carol, he traveled to Zaire, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Kenya and Ethiopia.
As a teenager, Monty witnessed the integration of his high school and became an active supporter of the civil rights movement, a commitment that continued throughout his life.
Monty faced his health challenges with grace and resilience. He supported Carol in her career and found joy in cooking, listening to others, meditating, reading, doing crossword puzzles and spending time with his family. In Yellow Springs, Monty was often seen on his daily walks wearing his favorite Tilly hat. Monty and Carol attended the Yellow Spring Friends Meeting at Rockford Chapel. He was known for his gentle spirit and his kind and compassionate nature. In 2023, Monty and Carol moved from Park Meadows to Friends Care Community.
Monty is survived by his wife, Carol; his son Christopher Matteson Cox, daughter-in-law Allison Carrington Young and granddaughter Emilia; and his son Kevin Cox Matteson, daughter-in-law Eden Woods Matteson, grandson, Eli, and granddaughter Violet.
A private memorial service was held for the immediate family. A public memorial service at the Friends Meeting House in Yellow Springs, Ohio, will be announced at a later date. Donations may be made to a charity of your choice; to the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church (you may select a project to donate to); or to The Yellow Springs Friends Meeting. To share a message or special memory with the family, please visit NewcomerDayton.com.
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