Tributes have this week been paid to a well-known local businessman, who has passed away.
David John Cox died peacefully aged 85 on 27th September. He was the owner of several businesses across the Burnham-On-Sea area over many decades.
Born in East Huntspill, David attended East Huntspill Primary School, followed by St Johns in Highbridge.
After a brief stint in the Army (REME), which took him to Kenya, David returned home, aged 21, when news of his father’s passing reached him, and he took care of his mother Queenie and younger brother Adrian (15) and sister Myra (9).
This new responsibility ignited David’s entrepreneurial drive and spirit which began with harvesting and transporting manure from the Huntspill village to allotments in Bristol.
This quickly grew and expanded into the creation of a haulage business in East Hunstpill, owning a fleet of vehicles.
Unstoppable and motivated, David expanded into the tarmac industry, with D J Cox Surfacing, whose gangs paved many driveways, streets and car parks throughout the county and beyond!
During this time, David married Ann Cox (nee Stevenson), his childhood sweetheart. The couple moved to Westfield Close, then onto Charlestone Road and Hillam, The Grove in Burnham, where they were blessed with two children, Steven John Cox and Sara-Jane Cox (Conklin) who attended local schools, St Dunstan’s and La Retraite.
David was an active member of the Round Table and subsequently 41 club and chased around the country supporting his son Steve in water ski racing and Sara in pony club events and swimming galas.
Once his children had learnt to drive, David’s next business challenge was purchasing and renovating Laburnum House Hotel in West Huntspill.
This run-down farmhouse was transformed into a thriving hotel with over 60 separate lodges which held many weddings, conferences, functions and celebrations for the local community.
David passed on his business acumen to his children, allowing them to turn their passions into livelihoods, Steve with Middlemoor Water Park in Woolavington, and Sara alongside her husband Mark set up Burnham-On-Sea Swim & Sports Academy, all of which they say could not have been possible without the support and entrepreneurial spirit of their father David.
David was constantly on the go, living life to the full. He enjoyed water skiing and was a member of the first 100 water skiers in the country to be able to ski with just bare feet, plus rode motor bikes, enjoyed shooting, socialising at Burnham Yacht club and Avenue Tennis Club and travelling looking for business opportunities to bring back to Somerset.
He was a larger-than-life character, whose spirit lives on in his children.
His family say he will be greatly missed by all his family and friends, adding a “very sincere thank you goes to the fabulous staff at Fielding Ward at Musgrove Park Hospital, we are forever grateful.”
His funeral will be held on Wednesday 16th October 2024 at Sedgemoor Crematorium at 12 noon.
Donations, if desired, will be directed to East Huntspill Primary School and may be sent to Burnham Funeral Services at 97 Oxford Street, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 1EW. Telephone 01278 551248.
