?Mary E. Cox

Age 96
Somerville

Mary Elizabeth Mundy Cox died peacefully in the company of her daughters on Thursday, May 11 at R.W. Johnson University Hospital Somerset. She was the fourth of nine children, born in Middlesex in 1920. She was predeceased by her husband, John J. (1977); son, John E. (2017); parents, Mary Mannion Mundy and George Cooper Mundy; brothers Les, James, Bill, and Don; and sisters Beatrice Oliver and Katherine Holderbaum. She was a graduate of Somerville High School.

Mary lived a long, healthy life. She was born just as US women gained voting privileges, and lived through the Great Depression and WWII. Mary worked as a telephone operator for NJ Bell in Somerville for 14 years, starting while still attending high school and continuing until the birth of her first child. She cherished her memory of weaving her way in and out among celebrating townspeople in Somerville, who had poured into the streets when the news of VJ Day was announced. Knowing her services would be needed at the switchboard, she ran all the way to work. Throughout the 50's and 60's, Mary raised her family. After many years as a full-time homemaker she returned to work part-time as a relief telephone operator for Johns-Manville Corporation, Mack Trucks and American Hoechst. She was a Girl Scout Leader for Brownies and Juniors from 1963-1967. She also was a library and playground volunteer at Immaculate Conception School when her children were students there. In later years, Mary was a member of a seniors leisure group and enjoyed group travel with her friends.

Mary is survived by two daughters, MaryEllen Devlin of Framingham, MA, and Anita Cox of Pipersville PA; two granddaughters and their husbands, Maureen Hamalainen (Dan) of Ann Arbor, MI, and Colleen Frost (Duncan) of Framingham, MA; four great granddaughters, Molly, Ella, Nora, and Alice; and her son's companion, Reiko Murofushi of Somerset, NJ. She also is survived by her brother, Fred Mundy of Long Beach, CA; her sister, Jeanne Naismyth of New Hope, PA; her sister-in-law, Carol Mundy of Las Cruces, NM, and many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be Monday, May 15 from 5-8 PM at the Cusick Funeral Home, Somerville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Somerville on Tuesday, May 16 at 9:30 AM. Interment will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery in East Millstone, NJ.
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In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Martinsville Rescue Squad, PO Box 296, Martinsville, NJ, 08836, or at JustGive.org; or, memorial donations may be mailed to the Mr. John Cox Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 57, Pipersville, PA 18947. Checks should be payable to North Brunswick High School Awards with “John Cox Memorial Scholarship” noted on the memo line.