Bill Cox, Master Commissioner, passes away

Long-time Williamsburg lawyer William Cox Jr., who has served as Whitley County’s Master Commissioner for the past four years, passed away at his home July 20.
“He was one of the best people I ever met,” said Evelyn McCullah, who formerly worked as Cox’s secretary for over eight years. “He was a great teacher. He was a family man, a wonderful lawyer, and one of the most intelligent men I have ever met. He was the best friend to everybody.”
District Judge Cathy Prewitt said Cox will be missed very much.
“I cannot remember not having Bill Cox around in my professional career,” Prewitt said. “At the funeral several comments were made that he was a lawyers lawyer. You could go to Bill if you didn’t know how to handle a particular situation as a practicing attorney.
“He would scratch his head, and say, ‘I had a case like that once.’ We all liked and respected him. He was very respected, and he will be missed. There is no question about it.”
Cox was born in Corbin on March 31, 1939, and graduated from Corbin High School in 1956.
He attended the University of Kentucky where he received both his bachelors degree and jurist doctorate degree. He was admitted to the Kentucky Bar Association in 1962, and was also a member of the Whitley County Bar Association, which he was president of in 1968. Cox also served as Whitley County Attorney from 1970-1978.
Ben Davis, who was Cox’s law partner for nearly 20 years, said most people don’t realize the effect that Cox had one the legal system and attorneys in Whitley County.
“Bill Cox had the highest legal rating that a lawyer can receive,” Davis noted. “Bill had a wide breadth of experience that very few lawyers have, and there is no question in that. He really leaves a void. He never failed to spend time with young struggling attorneys. I can remember years ago going to Bill, myself, when I had a case to try and ask him for some pointers. He sat down, and took the time.
“He was really concerned about the profession, and I really believe the reputation that he leaves is certainly the equal of any lawyer in this century in Whitley County in my opinion. Many times when you have someone like Bill Cox, what he really does and the effect he has really isn’t generally known to the public at large. He was a good man.”
McCullah, who first went to work for Cox in 1989, remembers the job interview well.
“He said I was the worst secretary he ever had, but that I had more potential than anyone he had ever seen,” McCullah added. “The thing I remember most about him was his wonderful sense of humor, and his kindness.”
In addition to practicing law, Cox also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends.
Funeral services were held Sunday at the Ellison Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Chuck Dupier officiating.
Burial followed in the Rest Haven Cemetery.