Clyde Thomas Cox

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Clyde “Papa” Cox

Clyde Thomas Cox, 98, of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away peacefully in the early morning of September 3, 2026, at Traditions at North Willow.

Clyde was born February 20, 1928, in a tenant farmhouse in Mercer County, Kentucky to Joseph Edwards Cox Jr. and Georgia May Gammon. He had two younger brothers, William Arthur Cox, who died in infancy, and Fred Logan Cox.

Clyde graduated from Burgin High School in 1946 before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served for 18 months, including service in Sendai, Japan, during the Allied occupation and reconstruction following World War II. After returning from Japan, he earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky and began his career as a quality engineer at GE Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Clyde met his wife, Mary Carmel Bauer, through a work carpool, and they married on December 29, 1956. They had two children and shared more than 66 loving years together before Mary’s passing in May 2023.

During his professional career, Clyde demonstrated his commitment to quality improvement through his membership in the American Society for Quality and his dedication to educating young boys and men through the Boy Scouts of America. Clyde and Mary moved permanently to Naples, Florida, in 2008. There, he kept his mind and body active, volunteering for several years as a docent at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and attending senior education classes through Hodges University in Fort Myers. In 2020, Clyde and Mary moved to Indianapolis, IN to be closer to family.

Over his long and accomplished life, Clyde was many things to different people: brother, husband, father, grandfather, even great-grandfather, but he was still so much more. Clyde was a planner and a traveler. He kept a detailed travel log and put together a photo slideshow after each trip to share with his neighbors. He was a lifelong student and reader. Undistracted by fiction, he would open a volume on American history long before any novel.

Clyde enjoyed gardening, tinkering with power tools in his home workshop, and going for walks and hikes. If he wasn’t hiking in the Smoky Mountains, he could be found taking miles-long walks through his neighborhood, even well into his 90s. But among his countless hobbies and projects, Clyde may be best remembered for his love of storytelling. Even if it was your fifth time hearing one of his stories, you could be captivated as though it were your first.

Clyde was “Papa” to seven grandchildren: Erin, Keri, Kathryn, Kevin, Michael, Brian, and John; and eight great-grandchildren: Mackenzie, Finn, Knox, Averie, Declan, Lila, Ridley, and Piper. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, William and Fred; and his wife, Mary. He is survived by his children, Mike (Sue) Cox and Carol (Tim) Eisenhut; his half-sister, Pam (Ernie) Day; and his nieces and nephews, Stefanie (Scott) Morris, Bailey (Tyler) Thomas, Sarah Day, and Hudson Morris.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Monica Catholic Church, 6131 Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, Indiana, with a funeral service to follow from noon to 1 p.m. Inurnment and a graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, at Calvary Cemetery, 1600 Newburg Rd., Louisville, Kentucky.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made online or by check to Friends of the Smokies, P.O. Box 1660, Kodak, TN 37764, or to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples, FL 34102.

Clyde was a wonderful man, deeply loved by his family and friends. His stories, his curiosity, and the many memories he created over 98 remarkable years will live on in all those who knew and loved him.