Marty Cox

Ellen Mardell (Marty) Cox, 87 of Fairfield, passed away Monday, July 13, 2026, in the Skilled Care Unit of Fairfield Memorial Hospital. Ellen was born to Walter Earnest and Lenora (Spell) Spivey in Isola, Mississippi on January 7, 1939. She grew up on the family farm and began picking cotton at a young age. As a person growing up on the heels of depression and the onset of World War II, she lived very frugally. Ellen started working in a Five and Dime when she was 13 years old and held numerous jobs throughout her adult life until retirement from Airtex in April of 1999.

While living in Mississippi, Ellen met her future husband John Cox, while he was stationed with the Airforce in Greenville. The couple married on August 26, 1962, and started traveling from military base to military base with their 3 children. The couple would have celebrated 64 years of marriage this August. When John retired, they settled in Fairfield in 1978 and have lived there ever since, celebrating the births of their grandchildren, great grandchildren, holidays, and many events throughout the years.

Ellen is survived by her husband John, daughters- Donna (Clifford) Reever and Beth (Doug) Strange, grandchildren- Elizabeth (Shawn) Scarbrough, Dustin (Jennifer) Strange, Bridgett (Jonathan) Mourey, and Deseree’ (Jason) Price, plus several great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son Ronnie, great granddaughter Raelynn, her parents, her-in laws Jim and Clemence Cox, and three brothers- Ernie, Bruce, and Lamar Spivey.

A visitation will be held from 5-7 PM on Monday, July 20, 2026, at Johnson and Vaughn Funeral Home, with a private family service to be held Tuesday at Maple Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Safe Haven Ministries in Fairfield.

The family would also like to thank all of the Skilled Care Nurses and CNA’s for taking such good care of Ellen.