It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of Dr. Michael Cox, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, who passed away suddenly on Thursday, April 4, 2019,
He is survived by his loving wife, Cynthia Cox; his five children, Matthew (Annette), Isla (Kam), Sarah (Michael), Adrian (Taylor), and Ben, and his seven grandchildren, Makaila, Alexander, Tatiana, Alice, Ben, Clare and Julia.
Michael had a unique way of leaving a lasting impression on those he met. His kindness, interest in others, and gentle spirit allowed him to connect with so many. He led a diverse personal and professional life, during which he practiced medicine throughout Canada and abroad.
A Celebration of Michael’s Life will be held on Sunday, April 14th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria BC.
Donations, if desired, may be made to Our Place Society (www.ourplacesociety.com/donate) in lieu of flowers.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Margaret Ramsey
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Chris Kilford Dear Cynthia and family,
I would like to pass on our condolences from the Canadian International Council, Victoria Branch. Michael was a new member but came to many events before he passed away. He and I often spoke and I was very sad to learn today that he had passed away in early April. I wish you and your family all the best in these trying times and we will greatly miss him.
Chris Kilford
President
Victoria Branch
Canadian International Council
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Susan McRae Dear Cynthia,
My sincere condolences to you, Adrian, Ben and your extended family on the loss of Michael, beloved dad, husband and grandfather. May you have many treasured memories of time spent together to keep close to your hearts.
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Henriette Lem Saddened to hear of Dr. Michael Cox’s sudden passing. It was an honour to work with him. My condolences to his family during this difficult time.
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Ruby Zelotes I had the pleasure of working with “Michael” in the operating room. He always operated on a first name basis.
A gentleman with many talents. Such a loss!
My thoughts are with his family.
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Dory Glaser Watson (McEvoy) I was a RN and colleague in LDR for 20 years. He was always kind to his patients and RNs. My sincere condolences to his family whom he cherished.
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Erin Becker Michael was a colleague for many years. I will always remember his caring, gentle manner, and his smile. He was a true gentleman, ever taking the time and an interest in those around him. He will be sadly missed
My sincere condolences to the Cox family.
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Lexi Allen I was truly sadden to hear of Dr. Cox passing, he was well loved on LDR and will always be remembered and missed.
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Fulvio Casciola We’ve lost a lovely friend and colleague.
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David Morris Dear Cynthia, Ben, Adrian, and the rest of your wonderful family.
It took us all by complete shock hearing the news of Michael’s passing. Ben, I know how much you will miss your Dad, and how much you looked up to him. Just as you looked up to your Dad, so many of your close friends, including myself, look up to you. We are thinking of all of you at this very difficult time. He will be missed by all of you, and so many others.
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Yvette Thompson I would like to give my deepest condolences to Cynthia and the Cox family at this sad time. Dr. Cox always spoke so proudly of you all. I will always remember him as a kind, soft spoken true gentleman and an amazing healer. He had a spectacular memory for facts and because of this connected with people in an extraordinary way that made an individual, patient, colleague or friend, feel special. He once told me he loved reading medical journals and he wasn’t teasing. Having a wealth of information at his fingertips he could speak on any subject medical or otherwise it seemed. He will be missed by so many.
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Kelly Kennett I had the good fortune of working with Dr. Cox my entire nursing career. I will miss his gentle approach with our patients. I will also miss his hallway hugs as he made rounds. Most poignantly I will remember him as the physician who cared for me during a sad and difficult time in my personal life. He was a special man indeed. My condolences to all his family ❤️
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Leslie Zinger I worked with Dr. Cox for 30 years on the Mother babe unit at Victoria General. I met him on his first day on the Labour Delivery Unit. Even though he was not working that day, he had popped in to introduce himself as the new guy. I remember most his wonderful smile as he asked how I was doing. I said fine, as fine as anyone would be at 9 cm and just wanting the baby out. He would always joke that he appreciated the fact that I had named my son Michael after him. My condolences to his family. He was so proud of all his children and grandchildren.
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Jim Newbigging My sincerest condolences Cynthia, to you and your family. Michael has been an inspiring colleague over the decades, and well recognized for his kindness and respect towards patients and staff alike. It has been my pleasure to have known and worked with him. He will be missed by all. Jim and Barbara Newbigging
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Reginald H Mitchell Michael, Cynthia and I have met for many years at The Oxford and Cambridge Boatrace Celebration. I will miss his cheerful, kind appreciation of life. Although our contact has been only limited, his memory will remain with me. Cynthia: I hope you will still come to our celebrations. With warmest regards and deep sympathies, Reg Mitchell
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Tracey Moody Dr Michael Cox was a true example of how to treat others. After working with him for 29 years I saw him connect, listen and make people feel heard. He did not see anyone that should be treated other than the best he could do. I saw him often try to make patients feel safe especially when they were so far from home and he was familiar with so many cultures. He would give patients all his contacts so if they needed him they would be able to reach him. He also was often the first person to step up when a friend was in need. I hope to be more like him and then perhaps the world will be just a little bit better. Condolences to Cynthia, Adrian, Ben and all the family as I know he was so proud of you.
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Dr. Susan Matthews When I first started delivering babies in Victoria 20 years ago, Dr. Cox was the only obstetrician who didn’t make me feel nervous! He always had a warm smile coming down the hallway, and as others have mentioned, would recommend new books and authors regularly. I loved hearing about his GP days working in the Outer Hebrides ; he always appreciated and encouraged those of us in family practice! He was a true gentleman, and I will really miss him.
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Shireen Alam I had the pleasure of knowing Michael first as a teacher then as a colleague for well over twenty years. As so many others have noted, he was a kind and caring man, ever the true gentleman . He always made time to ask about the family, and to share something of himself whenever we worked together. It strikes me as remarkable how many of us felt such a true connection with him, I am so saddened by his sudden departure, and I hope his family can find some comfort in their memories of him and his achievements, both personal and professional.
Michael and I send our deepest condolences.
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Jenn Tranmer Oh, I will miss him. The thing about him was that he ALWAYS had time to ask YOU how you were and what you were up to and was so genuinely interested to hear the answers. I always marvelled, while scrubbing in for c-sections, how he asked the med students about THEIR LIVES and I loved being surprised about all that he learned in those few minutes. I will do my best to not forget what I learned from him and keep spreading this beautiful way of living. We always smiled about our daughters sharing the same name and how much we loved the name (and of course them!). Thank you to the family for sharing this wonderful spirit with us over the years. I will continue to think of him often.
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Jennifer Wenberg I’m glad I got to know Dr. Cox over years of working together in Labour and Delivery. My favourite thing about him was his smile, which was warm, sincere and infectious! He had a unique way of making people feel special, and that was wonderful to see. He always had time for a chat and a laugh at the desk, and brought a calm energy into the room of my patients. Dr Cox will be missed by so many of us. My sincere condolences to his family who must miss him most of all.
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Julia Bergman I am deeply saddened by this sudden loss of such a kind and caring man. I will miss the fact that every time I saw him he would hug me and would always ask about my family. Always remembering my husband and son’s name. He always had such a genuine interest in the people around him. He will be truly missed. I feel very privileged to have worked with him for so many years. Many condolences to his family.
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Robin and Denise Saunders To the Cox Family
At a fellow St. Thomas’s graduate and a colleague in Victoria for the last 25 years, I shall remember Michael as a kind and generous soul who always had time to spend with his patients and his colleagues alike. He had a great deal of respect for the primary care provider and understood their unique and varied challenges.He truly believed in team based care.
In fact, I first met Michael in London, UK when he was a Registrar and I was a lowly medical student.Our careers took us both to Ontario, the Cariboo and ultimately Victoria.
His untimely departure from this world deprives us of a true gentleman who had so much more to look forward to in his recent retirement.
Denise and I would like to offer our deepest sympathy to Cynthia and the whole Cox family.
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Louise Thurber As an LDR nurse I had the good fortune to have worked with Michael for the better part of two decades. He was always caring, kind, respectful and professional with both patients and staff. He cared for my own mother when she required surgery for cancer. My mother survived for many more years and he never failed to ask after her. That meant a great deal to me. My last conversation with Michael was about one year ago. We were sitting in aisle seats across from each other on a flight from Vancouver to Victoria. My husband and I were returning home from a cruise in Europe, and Michael was returning home from a working holiday in Britain. We each shared our experience, laughed, and said how glad we were to soon be back home with family and friends. Michael always spoke of his family with pride and love. My sincere condolences to all of his family. May warm memories be of comfort, Michael will not be forgotten.
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Fiona Dunn Dr Cox a kind man well loved man. I am blessed to have know him. He always had kind things to say about everyone. I am so sad he did not have those years to enjoy retirement. Rest in peace Dr Cox
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Sylvia MacMahon I was very saddened to hear the news of Dr Michael Cox’s passing. I met and worked with him,initially in Labour and Delivery, and latterly in the Mother and Babe Unit. A very caring and dedicated Obstetrician. As a fellow ex Pat, we had lots in common, including a strong affiliation for the county of Dorset UK, our age and reminiscences of those training hospitals, a love of Africa, and of course Obstetrics,(Myself, a formerly British trained midwife.)
My sincere condolences and prayers go to his family at this difficult time, and may they find comfort in knowing the difference his presence and work made in so many, many lives.
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Melissa Michael, you always had a smile on your face when you would arrive on our unit, your kindness and interest in everyone around you shined so brightly. It always meant so much to me that you would check in on how I was doing and how my family was. I have many images of you meeting a new patient, shaking their hand, sitting down and really showing a vested interest in what they had to say, you always showed such compassion and understanding to your patients. My sincerest condolences to your family at this difficult time.
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Michele Buchmann Dr. Cox will always have a very special corner in my heart. I knew him for over 20 years. I will miss the holding of the hand while telling an amazing maternity story, the passion with which he spoke about Uganda, the way he surprised me at times with his belief in women’s ability to birth… Even when I was tired and losing faith. He never just walked past you in the corridor, always made sure to engage and ask… And how are you?
My condolences to all family and friends. He will be missed.
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Ilana I first met Dr Cox over a decade ago, when I was a student midwife. He was the first person at VGH to remember my name, and I was and remain so grateful to him for that- he always took the time to truly engage with people, whether colleagues, students, or clients. Michael was a wonderful teacher and storyteller, and we also bonded over a shared love of Victorian literature – I remember once leaving a copy of ‘Middlemarch’ in a delivery room; by the time I returned to retrieve it, he’d happily found it.
I ran into Michael just a few weeks ago outside the elevator bank on Mother Babe. As always, I was rewarded with a huge smile and a clasped-hand greeting. He reflected on how much he had loved his obstetrics work – and how hard it’d been to leave it. Michael was one of my first teachers, and I am grateful for that.
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Lois Robertson To the Cox Family
I worked briefly for Dr. Cox filling in as a MOA for my sister Lane MacLean. In that short time the true character of this man came through. He kindly and gently tolerated my inadequate attempts as I helped shore up the ship of his busy practice. Ever the gentleman, it was a pleasure to work for him.
Families are never complete with a husband, dad and grandpa. Sadly the huge void Michael has left can never be filled. Yet, he has bequeathed to you his family a wonderful legacy of kindness, compassion and caring. At this sad chapter of your life may you each draw strength from that legacy. Sincerely, Lois Robertson, Ladysmith,
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Natalie Hicken, Registered Midwife Dr. Cox was always very kind to me and my pregnant clients when we got the chance to work with him.
My condolences.
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Dr Margaret Sherwood Many condolences. As a family physician delivering babies I spent many a time with Michael. He was always gentle and caring and willing to help a colleague. He will be missed.
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David McDonald Michael and I were aging physician colleagues who shared patients and an interest in how to prepare for retirement. Hopefully he enjoyed his, although it was regrettably brief. He was a kind and gentle soul.
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Sue Woods Cynthia my heart goes out to you and your family.I am so sorry for your loss of Michael. Even though there is distance between us I will be thinking of you during this time of sorrow.Sue
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Gillian Kozinka A privilege to know and work with this gentleman, he will be a great loss but remembered with much fondness.
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Denise Michalski Dr. Cox’s smiling face will be missed. As a nurse who work many years with him I will remember him as a man who gave of himself to his patients and colleagues. We had a little banter when we worked together. He’d tell me “ I know I’m driving you crazy” my reply was always “ but I’ll love you anyways. I enjoyed his stories of his work overseas. Will especially remember his fondness for Pagliacis cheesecake when we worked nights. Rest In Peace Micheal. You left this world doing what you loved. My condolences to his family.
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Tim Relf Hi Cynthia, My wife Jacquie (OR nurse) and I were saddened to learn of Michael’s sudden passing. We spent many hours together in the ORs at VGH, often in the middle of the night. Michael was always a gentleman and I know he was held in very high regard by his patients. Hopefully the memory of his love will help you in this difficult time. We will be away this weekend, so are unable to be at his memorial service. We will be thinking of you and your loved ones. Sincerely, Tim Relf and Jacquie Mutch
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MARCY MCKAY Michael was always a gentleman, and he treated his patients with such respect and kindness. He was kind to the nurses, and was always willing to help in the OR. I enjoyed many discussions with him over the years, from back in Prince George in the 80’s To Vic General this year. My thoughts to Cynthia and the family are filled with great memories. ❤️
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Kellie Whitehill I feel very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to work with Michael as a colleague for a few years prior to his retirement from obstetrics. I always enjoyed call handover with him, as he’d always take a few minutes to talk with me about his volunteer work and/or travels in the past, or the book he was currently reading, or to tell me a bit about his family (all of whom,it was obvious, that he adored and was extremely proud of). He always showed genuine interest in my travels/volunteer work/family etc. We’d spend a very pleasant few minutes enjoying each other’s company before getting back to work. He was extremely kind, generous and a true gentleman. I wish all of his family strength through this sad time. I hope you find solace in the many happy memories that I’m sure you all have.
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Selina Wilson Dr. Cox will be remembered as being a strong patient advocate. He was always very kind to me, and I will miss chatting with him in the halls at VGH. This lovely man will not be forgotten.
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Allan & Brenda Mactier Michael was an extremely kind and caring man, very proud of his wife & family.
He was a pleasure to deal with and he will be greatly missed by all of us that had the good fortune to meet and associate with him.
To the family, take special care of each other at this difficult time.
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Dr. Jennifer Lush Dr. Cox was a colleague and mentor I respected and always enjoyed working with. His gentle spirit did indeed touch many lives both here and abroad. My most sincere condolences to his family at this time of great sorrow.
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Heather Benn Dear Cynthia, Thinking of you, Adrian and Ben at this very sad time. Sincerely, Heather Benn and family
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Heather Bos I am very grateful for Dr. Cox’s medical care & helping to solve an on-going mystery in 2004. May the family have treasured memories to share with many.
I have many memories of Dr. Cox’s kindness over the years while working as a Midwife on Salt Spring and he as consultant on the other end of the phone. Please accept my warm wishes and sympathy to the family over his loss.