LINDA KAY COX
1944-2023
I never knew when we moved in at the lake how many connections I would have with this sweet lady.
Derek realized that Skip was his trainer at Baylor so we already had that connection. But over time, we grew to become deep friends. When Skip passed in 2020, we were not able to attend the funeral, but we went to the lake to see Kay and the family from a distance.
Then in 2021, we were there for Kay as she closed on her beloved lake place. It was an honor to know her and to love both her and Skip. I am so thankful that I was able to see Kay the Friday before she passed. I was able to hold her hand and tell her how much I love her.
oh...and I took her a box of chocolates with the following letter.
Within in the last two years, I realized through DNA that we are connected a distant cousins on my Hulsey line. It is mentioned in the letter below. I loved her SO MUCH!
Nov. 1, 2023
“Life is like a box
of chocolates…. you never know what you will get.”
It’s kind of like that … with you and me. We became neighbors
when we purchased our lake property, and who would have ever guessed that
Derek and Skip already knew one another. Then we grew into a relationship that
was more than just a neighbor. You became a friend to me, and
eventually, it became a deep friendship of sharing, caring, love and laughter
and just embracing one another through thick and thin. I looked forward to
being at the lake because you were there. We were ‘back-door’ neighbors on our
little dusty road. You always understood my heart, and we shared our shoulders
on which to rest our weary heads sometimes. I have countless GOOD memories of
our times together. Then once again, the variety of chocolate changed because I
found family connections on Ancestry to the Gailey and Brock names. With Judy’s
help, I learned that our connection was always within our DNA. Distant as it
may be, it is real. It is… a neighbor…a friendship …a cousin that was
meant to be!
When Skip passed away, I wrote the letter below because I knew that she could no longer live at the lake.
May 11, 2020
My Dear Sweet Kay,
I have opted to write you a
letter, as there is no way that I could express the following by talking. I
would be an ugly mess, but it is important for you to know what you and Skip
mean to us. I have also opted to type as
I’m afraid my hand would be a bit too shaky as I write from the heart and
through tears.
Though we all know that death
is as much a part of life as living, it doesn’t make it any easier to lose
someone. But we have faith that gives us hope because we know that Skip is in a
better place than we could even imagine.
That is a comfort to me, and it is a comfort to know that he no longer
suffers. Nor is he trying to stay here on earth as the protector and provider
of his family. That was always his first
and most important job. He was a servant of mankind, and he used that talent
well to mold many lives into better human beings.
Though our paths were very
near during our time at Baylor, it is really the intimate relationship that we
formed with you guys here at the lake that matters. As we grew to know and love
you both, we gained so much from that relationship. Skip was a walking source
of knowledge, forever knowing the answers to questions about anything that we
wanted to know. He was always here to help us out or to offer suggestions for
problems that needed to be solved. We always felt that we had our own personal
doctor at the lake. There were 3 huge events that required a doctor’s attention,
and he was here, johnny on the spot. (And the dogs also benefited from his
knowledge.) It has always been a comfort
knowing that you guys are here. I had to
work hard to not overuse him, as I was often wanting to “run to Skip”.
And you, my friend, are a ray
of sunshine to many. I admire your
ability to connect with others, your empathy for others, your ability to take
people in and embrace them. Your creative talents are enviable. That you can
take an old wine bottle or an old bench, or ‘whatever’ and bring life to it
just amazes me. Your way with words shows your ability to be vulnerable and see
life for what it is. Both you and Skip
have inspired me to be better, to do better, and to be kinder to all. Thank you
for being ‘that’ person in my life. I love your sense of humor, as I take
things far too seriously. You seem to make lemonade out of lemons all the time.
I have enjoyed our heart-to-heart talks, and it seems that there are many
things ‘under the surface’ that we understand about each other.
Now for the hard part. It’s
really the selfish part on my behalf. Reality tells me that ‘life at the lake’
will never be the same. This grieves me beyond belief. So many things have
changed in all of our lives and on our end of the cove, and I’m not looking
forward to the coming changes, because you see, over the last 5-6 years, you
and Skip have become part of our experience of coming to the lake, each and
every time. We have enjoyed your company and knowing that we would get to spend
time with you and share our many stories and open our hearts to each other. I
can’t even imagine how sad it will be for me, when I look over and you are not
there and there is no Dolly to greet us at the gate when we arrive.
But life does go on, and you
will find your way forward with the strength that you and Skip have used to
overcome many obstacles. Through the darkness, you will find light and your
children will be the rock that you stand on.
I’m wishing for you many happy trails ahead and may a few of them still
be down a dusty old road.
All my love,
Nancy
