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Clifton J. Cox, a retired WBAL-TV supervisor who was active in his East Baltimore church, died Saturday of multiple myeloma at his Ellicott City home. He was 65.
The son of Clifton L. Cox, a Bethlehem Steel Co. steelworker, and Lucille Edges Cox, a registered nurse, Clifton Jerome Cox was born in Baltimore and raised in East Baltimore.
He graduated in 1966 from Dunbar High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 1993 in sociology from Morgan State University.
Mr. Cox began working at WBAL-TV in 1967 and at the time of his retirement in 2002 was supervisor of the station's floor department, which gave direction to those appearing on the air.
"He was the first African-American supervisor of a floor department for a major TV station," said a daughter, Valerie Marks of Lutherville.
The Morning Sun
Mr. Cox's professional memberships included the National Association of Black Journalists and Association of Black Media Workers. He had served on the board of the Baltimore Cable Access Corp.
He also was a member of the Howard County Center of African American Culture Inc. and served as a mentor for Morgan State University's Project Praise and a big brother for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. He also was a Boy and Cub Scout master and had earned their Pro Deo Et Patria Medal, a religious award for Lutherans.
He was a longtime member of St. Philip's Evangelical Lutheran Church, where he had been a member of the board and was a church choir member. He also chaired the Learning Ministry Committee, founded the Elders Award, and visited the sick and shut-ins.
He had been a member of the board of the Lutheran Regional Synod and was a member of Lutheran Men in Mission.
Services will be held at noon Friday at his church, 501 N. Caroline St.
In addition to his daughter, Mr. Cox is survived by his wife of 36 years, the former Bertha Burgess; a son, Gregory Cox of Ellicott City; four brothers, Ronald Cox, Thurman Cox and Donnie Brown, all of Baltimore, and Norman Cox of Owings Mills; three sisters, Earlene Washington, Terita Richardson-Boyd and Stephanie Whitehurst, all of Baltimore; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. An earlier marriage to the former Rachel Jones ended in divorce.