Paul Chaney
The Cox family moved to my neighborhood in the early 1960s, when I was a student at Hillside elementary. Shirley's middle son, Chris, became my buddy, and we hung out together. From the last couple of years in elementary school until I went to Cajon HS for my senior year, I spent more time in the Cox's home than in anyone else's but my own. Mrs. Cox was a great mom, and she had to keep her cool with 3 lively sons. She was always a beautiful woman with a wry smile and twinkle in her eyes that revealed her gentle sense of humor and loving heart. After being away at college, I returned to San Bernardino in 1984 and re-connected with Duke and Shirley from time to time, as I was a customer of Duke's when he was an insurance agent. When I became an arborist full time, they became regular clients, and we had good visits a couple of times per year when I cared for their trees.The parenting and counseling influence of these wonderful parents helped me through my childhood, and I appreciated their sharing friendship as an adult. The unique ways Shirley and Duke reflected God's grace will always shine in my memory. Shirley brought some of the harmony of heaven to her home, neighborhood, and community, and well earned the dignity of a life lived right.

