Andrew Chadwick “Chad” Cox, 83, died July 5, 2020 at his home in Norman, OK. He regretted that the Republican legislature would never hear a Death with Dignity bill and even passed a bill, signed by Governor Stitt, that would embarrass the family of anyone that chose to die early. Chadwick was born in 1936 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Virgil Munsey and Juelle Ikerd Cox. The family moved to Houston,Texas when he was very young. Exploring the nearby woods there led to his lifetime interest in nature. His curiosity about what made up life structures started him in chemistry. His love of swimming had him swim for his Reagan High School team. At the University of Texas, he obtained a BS degree in chemistry and his first related job was at M. D. Anderson Hospital in Houston. He attended a science seminar there where internationally famous scientists spoke about their work with DNA, inheritance and the relationship to proteins, an amalgam that was extremely significant. He immediately went into graduate school and earned a MS Degree in biochemistry at the University of Houston and after that, a Ph.D. Degree in biochemistry at Duke University. His doctoral work on the structure of high density lipoprotein sent him to a postdoctoral position working on blood coagulation. That work continued during his professorship at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The coagulation work was expanded to include platelet function as platelets direct the formation of clots in the body. On returning from a sabbatical in 1980 he met his future wife, Patricia Ann Morris, who had joined the joint lab group. They married in 1984. He retired in July of 1998. While his vocation covered the interest in learning how life is put together, his avocations developed from the love of nature and being around water. He became a member of the Thunderbird Sailing Club (TSC) and a member of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society. Through his services to these groups he earned a lifetime membership in both. For several years he edited the Gaillardia, the ONPS newsletter, as well as serving in other capacities. Observing on multiple field trips the unfair advantage that invasive plants had over the natives, he founded along with two botanists the Oklahoma Invasive Plant Council, a citizens’ organization designed to compensate for the lack of effort by the state. He served in most positions for TSC, including teaching the summer sailing camps for kids for several years. During his active time with TSC, he had a 22 foot sailboat that sailed there and at other sites in Oklahoma. There were other sailing trips further away in rented bigger boats. Chadwick with his morals set in the style of Thomas Paine, became a lifelong Democrat. He was active in politics early on while at the university. The first was canvassing for his city councilor in his district in Oklahoma City. He has worked for and supported many more for city offices to the presidency. Many letters to the editor have been
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