# Raymond Cox > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Raymond_Cox > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Raymond_Cox.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Cox > Source revision: 1350129991 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | image_size = | name = Raymond "Ray" Cox | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|6|26|mf=y}} | birth_place = [Stockton, California](/source/Stockton%2C_California) | death_date = November 3, 2017 (aged 67) | death_place = [Northfield, Minnesota](/source/Northfield%2C_Minnesota) | state_house = Minnesota | state = Minnesota | district = 25B | term_start = 2003 | term_end = 2007 | predecessor = [John Tuma](/source/John_Tuma) | successor = [David Bly](/source/David_Bly) | constituency = | party = [Republican Party of Minnesota](/source/Republican_Party_of_Minnesota) | occupation = [Business owner](/source/Business_owner) | majority = | relations = | spouse = Ellen (Bjork) Cox | children = 3 | website = http://raycox.net | footnotes = }} '''Raymond R. Cox''' (June 26, 1951 – November 3, 2017) was a Minnesota politician and a former member of the [Minnesota House of Representatives](/source/Minnesota_House_of_Representatives) from District 25B,[http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/memberselectls85.asp?district=25B] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611065817/http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/memberselectls85.asp?district=25B |date=June 11, 2011 }} which includes the communities of [Belle Plaine](/source/Belle_Plaine%2C_Minnesota), [Bridgewater](/source/Bridgewater_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), [Cedar Lake](/source/Cedar_Lake_Township%2C_Scott_County%2C_Minnesota), [Dundas](/source/Dundas%2C_Minnesota), [Erin](/source/Erin_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), [Forest](/source/Forest_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), [Helena](/source/Helena_Township%2C_Scott_County%2C_Minnesota), [Lonsdale](/source/Lonsdale%2C_Minnesota), [Nerstrand](/source/Nerstrand%2C_Minnesota), [Northfield](/source/Northfield%2C_Minnesota), [Shieldsville](/source/Shieldsville_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), [Webster](/source/Webster_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), [Wheatland](/source/Wheatland_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota) and [Wheeling](/source/Wheeling_Township%2C_Rice_County%2C_Minnesota), as well as several townships in [Rice](/source/Rice_County%2C_Minnesota) and [Scott](/source/Scott_County%2C_Minnesota) counties just south of the [Twin Cities](/source/Twin_Cities) metropolitan area.{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10758 |title=Cox, Raymond "Ray" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2015-10-09}} ==Early life and career== Cox was born in [Stockton, California](/source/Stockton%2C_California), to parents who were Minnesota natives. The family moved back to Minnesota when he was a young boy. He grew up in [Northfield](/source/Northfield%2C_Minnesota), where he graduated from Northfield High School in 1970. He attended [Ripon College](/source/Ripon_College_(Wisconsin)) for two years and received his [B.A.](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) in [biology](/source/biology) (with a concentration in plant pathology) from [St. Olaf College](/source/St._Olaf_College) in 1974. During college, Cox began to work in construction and continued in this field after graduation. Eventually, he joined Northfield Construction Company and has been sole owner of the business since 1996. Cox died from cancer at his home in Northfield, Minnesota.[http://www.biermanfuneralhome.com/obituary/raymond-r-cox/#expe1 Raymond R. Cox-obituary] ==Political career== Before his election to the Minnesota Legislature in 2002, Cox served on the Northfield City Planning Commission for five years (1978–1983) and on the Northfield Board of Education for 15 years, beginning in 1987. Cox was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature on November 5, 2002, and served two terms (2003–2007). During that time, his committee assignments included: * Environment & Natural Resources * Higher Education Finance * Transportation Cox was a board member of the Northfield Community Action Center and Northfield Area Foundation. ==Personal life== Cox lived in [Northfield](/source/Northfield%2C_Minnesota) with his wife, Ellen. They have three grown children. Cox's great-grandfather, Edwin Cox (b. 1837), served in the Minnesota State Legislature from 1889-90 as the State Representative from District 41 ([Pope County](/source/Pope_County%2C_Minnesota)).{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=11688 |title=Cox, Edwin - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2015-10-09}} His mother, Marjorie Cox, a teacher and long time Northfield City Councilperson, ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 1978 in the old District 24A against former Minnesota Speaker of the House, Rep. [Robert E. Vanasek](/source/Robert_E._Vanasek).{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10680 |title=Vanasek, Robert E. "Bob" - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present |publisher=Leg.state.mn.us |date= |accessdate=2015-10-09}} ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{MN-legdb|10758}} *[http://raycox.net/ Cox's Web site] *[http://northfieldconstruction.net Cox's Business Web Site - Northfield Construction Company] *[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=128 MPR Votetracker] {{s-start}} {{Succession box | before = [John Tuma](/source/John_Tuma) | title = [Minnesota House of Representatives](/source/Minnesota_House_of_Representatives) District 25B | years = 2003 – 2007 | after = [David Bly](/source/David_Bly) }} {{s-end}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Raymond}} Category:1951 births Category:2017 deaths Category:People from Northfield, Minnesota Category:Politicians from Stockton, California Category:School board members in Minnesota Category:Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Category:St. Olaf College alumni Category:Ripon College (Wisconsin) alumni Category:Businesspeople from Minnesota Category:Deaths from cancer in Minnesota Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century members of the Minnesota Legislature --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Raymond Cox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Cox) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Cox?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.