Melanie (Esposito) Cox

Mary Melanie Cox was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and

friend. She passed away peacefully on June 8, 2023, at 79 years of age, surrounded in love by her

three children, John, Heather and Casey, daughter-in-law Leigh, sister Anita, sister-in-law Della

and niece Diana.

Melanie was born to Frank and Mela Esposito on Dec. 9, 1943, in Youngstown. At age 14, during

the summer before her freshman year at Cardinal Mooney High School, she met the love of her

life, our dad, John Cox. Their love would carry them through high school graduation in 1962,

and they were united in marriage on October 17, 1964, at St. Patrick’s Church. Together they had

three children, eight grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.

Melanie cherished nothing more than spending time with her family, especially during the

holidays. Growing up, our home was the hub on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and those

celebrations were filled with enormous amounts of laughter, music, food and most of all, love.

Melanie’s family always came first. Cooking for her family brought her joy and she made THE

BEST wedding soup. Melanie enjoyed gardening and the time she spent with The Garden Club,

doing crafts with her grandchildren and she had a wonderful eye for decorating that became her

passion and career later in life.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Dr. John (Leigh) Cox, Heather (Chris) Koch,

Casey (Tim) Moore; grandchildren, Johnny, Hollis, Jake, Danny, Mimi, Mezi, Liam and Evelyn;

two step-grandchildren, Alex and Lauren; brother, Frank (Joann) Esposito; sister, Anita (Jerry)

Sweed; and sisters-in-law, Nancy Cox and Della Cox; as well as numerous cousins, nieces,

nephews, grand-nieces and -nephews and many lifelong friends. To all our family and friends …

please know that she loved you all very much.

Melanie was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Mela Esposito; her husband, John;

In-laws, Jack & Pearl Cox; brothers-in-law, Edward, Tommy and James Cox, Russell Hewitt,

Murph Pearl; sisters-in-law Marietta Pearl and Peggy Hewitt; nieces and nephews, Teddy Cox

and Maureen, Bryan and Russell Hewitt.

“The love our mom and dad had for one another was immeasurable. After losing our father in

August 2005, our mother’s heart and spirit were never quite the same. She has spent the last 18

years deeply missing our father and knowing that they are reunited in heaven brings us all so

much comfort. Everything we are and everything we do is because of our mom and dad.”

Friends and family are invited to pay their respects from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Saturday, June

17, 2023, followed by a funeral Mass at 2 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave.,

Youngstown, OH 44507., celebrated by Rev. Kevin Peters.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Youngstown Playhouse 600 Playhouse Ln. Youngstown, OH 44511.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Edward J. Fox & Sons Funeral Home, 4700 Market St. Boardman.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Melanie (Esposito) Cox, please visit our floral store.