Thomas Chatterton Coxe III

Thomas Chatterton Coxe III, "Tommy" died peacefully on December 28, at the age of 90. His family celebrates his exemplary life and is proud of the way he lived purposefully with deep thought and godly guidance.
Led by his parents Tom and Emily Coxe, Tommy learned to serve the Lord at an early age and continued to do so throughout his life. He was christened and confirmed at St. Matthews Church and grew to become a pillar of St. Matthew's congregation. Tommy honored the Lord by serving his church in every way possible. He was an acolyte, taught Sunday school, was a lay reader, a PLEM, and a member of the Vestry, serving several times as Senior Warden and was always willing to serve in any other capacities where he was called or needed.
Tommy is survived by his wife Mary Marshall Ragland Coxe,
his sons Thomas, Campbell, Ragland, and Miles Coxe and their wives, his ten grandchildren, and his eight great grandchildren. In addition, he is survived by three of his four siblings...Patricia Ware of Richmond VA, Vicky Commander of Jacksonville FL, and Ricky Coxe of Darlington. Tommy was preceded in death by his sister Emmy Winburn of Savannah GA.
Tommy attended Woodberry Forest High School in Orange, VA. where he was quickly recognized as an astute student and a leader among his peers. In 1949, he was accepted to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There he earned a BS in Business Administration, was Captain of the wrestling team, and was a member of The Order of the Gimghoul.
After graduating from Chapel Hill, Tommy married his college sweetheart Mary Marshall Ragland from Raleigh NC on January 31, 1953. The couple moved to Darlington where Tommy began working at the family business, Coxe Lumber Company. In 1970, Coxe Lumber Co. merged with Sonoco Products Co. headquartered in Hartsville, SC. Rising to the challenge after the merge, with hard work, business intuition and stellar Personal Relations skills, he retired in 1996 as Senior Executive Vice President of the company. He also served on numerous boards and civic organizations during his career.
Tommy found joy in his family, his church, tennis, sailing, hunting, and serving the Lord. Thanks be to God.
A funeral and celebration of his life was held on Wednesday, December 30th at St. Thomas in the Pines, the family chapel on the Coxe property. His son, The Reverend Ragland Coxe officiated the ceremony.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers or memorials, donations be made to St. Matthews Church, 210 S Main St. Darlington, SC 29532

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