Stanley L. Cox

South Portland- Stanley Lincoln Cox, 83, of Highland Avenue, died Thursday, October 22, 2015. He was born in Portland on February 12, 1932, a son of Ralph W. and Gracia (Peabbles) Cox. He was educated in South Portland schools and graduated from South Portland High School in 1950. He graduated from University of Maine, Orono in 1954, with a degree in engineering. He worked for General Electric for ten years in Cincinnati Ohio and Schenectady New York on large aircraft jet engines and nuclear submarine control systems. He also worked for thirty two years as a nuclear engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. He was active in South Portland politics. He served on the South Portland planning board, Conservation Commission, South Portland Development Corp and many committees such as recycling committee, energy and recycling committee, environmental committee, open space committee and several ad hoc committees. He was instrumental in getting several items on the ballot for public vote. He was always proud that he was the driving force to prevent the City from going to pay-per-bag trash removal. He was a quiet person and preferred working behind the scene. When he helped councilors on projects, he used to tell them if the results were positive they could have the credit, but if the results turned out bad they would have to take the blame. He was ahead of his time with community gardens. He provided about five acres of community gardens for ten years in the seventies and early eighties. He never knew when he would meet someone and they would remind him that they had one of his garden plots. He never lost his roots for farming. He started out living on his grandfathers farm in Cape Elizabeth. It was then the Peabbles farm, but now is known as Elwive farm. His father bought the farm in South Portland in 1939. He remembered their first tractor and plow was a cut down truck with oversized tires and a hand held horse drawn plow. He said he was too young to handle the plow so his job was to drive the tractor. He remembered having a block of wood bolted to the clutch pedal so he could reach it and drive the tractor when he was eight years old. He used to deliver farm produce and eggs to Hannafords when they were only a wholesaler on Commercial Street. He bought the farm in 1967 when his father retired and was determined to keep the farm from being developed. He said it took him fifteen years to get his farm rights back from non-conforming status. With the help of councilor Fickett, Portland Pipe Line and Hannaford Brothers he was finally successful. He also was instrumental in preserving the rights for having sheep on the property of Broadway and Perry Terrace. The farm is one of the original farms in South Portland and was in existence when Highland Avenue was a dirt road. He always felt his farm was a part of South Portlands history. It has been in the Cox family since 1939 and his grandson, Jonathan is the fourth generation to live there. One of his last goals was to preserve the portion of the farm visible to the public on Highland Ave. He always said the openness of the farm and the cemetery across the street complemented each other and it would be too bad to lose the serenity of the area. He is predeceased by his loving wife of 45 years, Dorothy Boyington Cox, who died in 2003; and his one brother, Ralph W. Cox Jr. He is survived by two daughters, Linda Ruterbories and Leesa Cox, both of South Portland; a grandson, Jonathan Ruterbories; a granddaughter, Taylor Matthews; a sister-in-law, Leona Cox; longtime friend, Cynthia Weiss; nieces Julie Pitt, Sue Nappi, and Donna McEvoy; and nephews Blane Bussell, Bruce Bussell, Ron Bussell and Michael Cox. A graveside service for Stanley and Dorothy will be held 1:00 PM, Tuesday, at Highland Memorial Cemetery, Outer Highland Avenue, South Portland. Arrangements are by Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. To view Stanleys memorial page or share online condolences, please visit www.ctcrawford.com.