He was known as the pastor who helped his congregation convert a former grocery store into a large, spacious church and Community Life Center, which has served residents of downtown Bradford for decades.
Rev. Dr. J. Arthur Cox, who died Friday at the age of 77, had not only provided leadership to Grace Lutheran Church from 1975 to 2000 as its pastor, but also stepped up as interim pastor when other church leaders moved on.
Several members of the church, and other people with community organizations of which Cox belonged, commented on his leadership in Bradford.
The Rev. Patrick Cox of Grace Lutheran, current pastor of Grace Lutheran and not related to the deceased pastor, said the elder pastor was always available if he needed advice. He said Arthur Cox’ presence was felt at Grace Lutheran after his retirement, as he continued to attend the church.
“He was present there quite a bit, but not too much (in the past several months) because he was sick,” Patrick Cox said.
He noted Arthur Cox led the project for renovating and converting the former A&P Grocery Store on Mechanic Street into a large, beautiful church.
“They worked for months and months building the entire interior — the structures and all the rooms, hallways and restrooms — they did all that themselves,” Patrick Cox said of the congregation. “He certainly was overseeing the entire project.”
Patrick Cox said when he was called to serve the congregation approximately seven years ago he immediately became acquainted with Arthur Cox.
“We would have lunch at the Bradford Club and he would give me advice about the congregation,” he recalled. “It was a very nice relationship we had for the seven years he was living here. We had a wonderful relationship; it was really nice to know him.”
Church secretary Diane Deloe has worked at Grace Lutheran for 25 years and also admired Arthur Cox and his leadership. During her years, she served as secretary for various pastors at Grace Lutheran. She said Cox was one of the more innovative of the church leaders.
“He always had a vision for the church,” Deloe said. “That’s why he accumulated different properties (in town) as they became available so we could expand. That’s why they had the space to build the Community Life Center.”
Deloe said Cox trained her for the secretarial position and was a great boss.
“He was a very wonderful man to work for, he taught me a lot,” Deloe recalled. “Even after the several times he retired.”
She said Cox stepped back in to serve as interim pastor after a couple of former pastors moved on to other churches.
“He came back to us off and on,” Deloe said. “He was Grace Lutheran Church, he was a very big part of it.”
When not at Grace Lutheran, Cox also had served on the board of directors at
Bradford Regional Medical Center for 25 years, and was past president of the Rotary Club and Penn Hills Country Club. In addition, he was a past member of the board of directors for the Visiting Nurses Association and the Bradford Area School District.
George Evans, a longtime member of the Rotary Club, said he, too, admired Cox.
“As a previous Bradford Rotarian president, I always valued the intellect and compassion of Art,” Evans said. “He was a pillar of the community — socially, culturally and spiritually. He possessed a genuine interest in the education of youth, in the ability of himself and others to help those in need.
“He cherished his family and everyone who walked into his life,” Evans added. “He was a good man who stood tallest among all good men.”
Jerry Moore, who served with Cox on the Bradford school board a number of years ago, summed up the pastor’s career in Bradford.
“He was level-headed and looked out for the good of the community,” Moore said.
