Loranda Gail Cox Nelson, 87 of Graham, NC passed away on Friday, January 24, 2025.
Born March 22, 1937, she was the wife of the late Gerald Paul “Jerry” Nelson who was her loving partner and best friend and the daughter of K. Mack Cox and Clara Elizabeth Bivins Cox, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by two brothers, David Nelson Cox and Jerry Mack Cox and a niece, Jessie Cox Oakley.
Gail was a graduate of Alexander Wilson High School and East Carolina College. She began her teaching career in the Burlington City Schools in 1959 at Grove Park School. She also taught one year in Greensboro but returned to Burlington teaching compositions in all the Burlington schools. She loved children and cherished her students always delighting when seeing them as adults.
Gail was a family person and loved her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She began researching genealogy in high school and continued to search for many years. She loved family stories and began a genealogy study tracing family as far back as her Cox genes. With her cousin, Corinne Bivins, she researched and wrote two oral history books, “When Shoeshines Were a Nickle” and “Mary Louise Opus”.
Gail questioned aspects regarding religion at a young age continuing to while at Lisbon, Portugal. There she met the Director of Ministerial Service for Unity of Christianity and knew she found what she had been seeking. With Iredell and Caroline Hutton and Maxine Ward, Gail helped found the Unity Church of Today in Graham. She continued finding peace in silence by leading meditation groups for 15 years.
Survivors include her partner, C. W. Clark; sisters-in-law, Sue Ellen Cox and Susan Cox; nieces, Lisa Cox Herring (David), Elizabeth E. Cox (Nick Vibitisky), and Whitney Cox; nephews, Paul Nelson Cox; great nieces, Maggie Herring, Mary Ellen Herring and Aubrey Oakley; and great nephews, Bill Herring and Luke Cox, Garret Oakley
A memorial service was conducted at the Rich & Thompson Chapel in Graham on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. by Rev. Darryl Peebles.
Memorials may be made to AuthoraCare Collective, 914 Chapel Hill Road, Burlington, NC 27215 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
