Mary Cox-Swisher

Molly Cox-Swisher 85, of Lawrence, passed away on Saturday morning, May 14th. Born Mary Josephine Gunn on October 20, 1925, to Irish parents in Liverpool, England, she married Staff Sergeant (later, Sergeant Major) Joseph T. Cox in May 1947, after a wartime romance. Molly was the niece of James O’Hara, Member of Parliament for Liverpool for 25 years. She guided her military family through 35 years of experiences in Japan, Germany and elsewhere before moving to Fort Benjamin Harrison in January 1963. They relocated into Lawrence in 1968. She was for decades, an active member of the Fort Harrison and Lawrence communities, and active with the Red Cross. She was military wife of the year in 1970. Sergeant Major Cox died in March 1997, two months short of their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Molly served in the British Land Army in Devonshire during World War II. She was always proud that the future Queen Elizabeth II was a member of the same organization. In July 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown recognized her service with a medal and a personally signed proclamation. These were presented to her by Major General (retired) Ronald Brooks, the last Commanding General of Fort Benjamin Harrison, at a meeting of the Lawrence Common Council. She also received the Common Council “Citizen Recognition Award.” She married Glenn Swisher in December 2001. She is survived by Mr. Swisher; son, Andy Cox; twin daughters, Kathleen Walton and Suzanne Perryman; grandchildren, Lisa Miyamoto, Molly Seip, Jackie Perryman, Tim Walton, Lydia Cox and Hillary Cox; and great grandchildren, Devon Walton and Zachary Seip. Visitation for Molly will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Flanner and Buchanan Funeral Center-Broad Ripple, 1305 E. Broad Ripple Avenue. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at 10 a.m., at the funeral center. Burial will follow in Our Lady of Peace Cemetery.