‘THE GENTLE GIANT’ 1928-2004

Cyril Eugene Cox was born at a small cottage in West Side, Somerset. In his younger years he attended West End School, he later attended the Royal Naval Technical School in Ireland. Eugene was always a good student, studious and disciplined. He enrolled at Ryerson Institute of Technology in Toronto in 1952 and went on to gain his iron ring and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Montreal. He later obtained a certificate in Management from the American Management Association. Upon graduating from McGill in 1960, he joined the Bermuda Electric Light Company he remained there until 1993 as a Senior Vice President and assistant to the President with responsibility for engineering and operations, He served on the Belco Board until 1998, reaching the age of mandatory retirement.

He found himself running for election for the Progressive Labour Party which formed in 1968 for the Sandy’s South area and was successfully elected in 1972 and 1976, he briefly served in the Senate before being returned to the House of Assembly. He was appointed as Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, and initiated the JOBB project. He promoted racial harmony by organizing trips for racially mixed groups of youth. He served on several committees, including the House and Grounds Committee, Parliamentary Committee, the committee on Banking, the Private Members Bill Committee and the Public Accounts Committee in 1989, after a four year well-deserved break from politics, he returned with Mr. Dennis Lister as his running mate and was elected to Parliament in the Sandy’s North Constituency. Mr. Cox was appointed Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier in November 1998 in the first Progressive Labour Administration. During his five years as Minister of Finance, he kept the Bermuda economy bouyant.

Mr. Cox was a man of principle, integrity, honour humility, and courage. He was a man who quietly blazed a trail toward the development of a more Democratic Bermudian Society. He was an avid church goer and worshipped at St. James Church in Sandy’s he was a representative at the Anglican Synod and served on the Synod Executive Committee.

Mr. Cox was a person with strong family values. Eugene married Alinda Parris out of the union are three children, His daughter Paula showed great pride in her dad so it was no surprise that she followed in his footsteps and reached the status of serving as Premier of Bermuda. He served as a teacher before his career as an engineer, He retained a keen interest in the educational well-being of Bermuda’s Youth. Eugene was a long serving Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Sandy’s Secondary School. Founding member of the Parent Teacher and Student’s Association at Berkeley Institute and proudly drafted the plans for the F.S. Furbert Building at the school. He was a lover of Jazz and enjoyed such artist as Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. Mr. Cox was awarded the C.B.E. in her Majesty’s New Years Honours in 2004. He gave his all and memories of his works will never be forgotten.