05/04/2026
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I type these words: we have lost one of the best. Rick Cox passed away on May 3rd, 2026, at the age of 62.
Rick might have been 62, but he had the personality of that slightly mischievous neighborhood teenager you couldn’t help but like. He kept both the office and shop crew laughing with his stories. Rick handled crankshaft balancing, block honing, and other machining jobs in the shop, but his true gift was the art of organization.
He credited his time at Johnson and Johnson Racing, and the lessons he learned from Roy Johnson, for his belief in having everything in a known place. His OCD would kick in, and you’d suddenly notice things around the shop becoming “neat and tidy” and easy to find.
One of my favorite examples was the light for the hone. Billy had been “complaining” about the lighting in the honing booth. Rick listened and had Abbey order a 36” LED light. Quick with the MIG, Rick welded up a bracket and mount and attached it to the hone while Billy was out. Billy came back, looked at Rick, and smiled. That was Rick—he just got things done without being asked.
My mother always said that dogs are the best judges of character, and the dogs of Straub Tech all loved Rick. Nitro was Rick’s sidekick at the shop, and when Ellie and Sadie came to visit, they always made a beeline to Uncle Rick. That was Rick—kind to all God’s creatures, because he was a kind soul.
Thanks for all the laughs and all the good times you brought to Straub Tech. Don’t worry—I’ll always have a burger on the grill for you.
Rest in peace, friend.
Tracy, Billy, Hunter, John, Cory, Abbey, Josh, Kobe & Chris
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations may be made to Greeneville Greene County Humane Society.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/greeneville-tn/richard-cox-12869820