Leonard Lincoln Cox of Boone, North Carolina went home to the Lord surrounded by his family on July 21, 2025 at his home in Flower Mound, Texas.  He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great grandfather.

Raised in the great Appalachian mountains on Elk Creek near Boone, Leonard was the youngest of 8 children.  Whether he was climbing trees or scrambling up the mountain, Leonard developed an appreciation for the outdoors that later revealed his amazing talents to grow plants and vegetables by the bushel.  From a family of timbermen, Leonard moved as an adolescent from the mountains to Cabarrus County, north of Charlotte, where his father cleared timber for future farm land.  Here he became one of the first in his family to earn a high school degree, graduating from Bethel High School in Midland, NC in 1942.  Most fortuitously, it was in Cabarrus County where he would meet the great love of his life, Marcell McClure.

However, most of their courtship would be from afar as Leonard enlisted in the Navy almost immediately after high school, serving during the peak of World War II.  Serving primarily at a naval base in Norfolk, VA, Leonard never was able to see combat action.  Shortly before the end of his service, Leonard secured leave, drove to North Carolina, made arrangements with the pastor, and married Marcell on December 21, 1945.  Upon discharge from the Navy, Leonard and Marcell started out with factory work (Marcell sewing in the hosiery mill and Leonard in a textile dye plant) in Concord, NC where they built a home and lovingly raised their only daughter, Trudy. Leonard went on to achieve success with Western & Southern Life Insurance Company.  Retiring in 1986, Leonard remained active supporting Marcell's thriving fabric business, Harrisburg Fabrics and Fashions, as the in-house sewing machine repair technician, volunteering at Pitts Road Baptist Church, and active in his local Lions Club.  Leonard was always quick with a joke and ready to tease with a wry smile, which made him a joy to be around.

In 2008, Leonard and Marcell finally decided to close the business and move to Flower Mound, Texas to be closer to their daughter Trudy and her family.  They both remained extremely active, regularly volunteering to minister to the sick in hospitals, active with their Sunday School class at Lakeland Baptist Church, and continuing to exemplify Christ's teachings with everyone they touched.  For nearly 77 years, Leonard and Marcell were inseparable.  Leonard's beloved "Marcella" went home to the Lord in December of 2022, and now Leonard has been reunited with her in the glory of God.

Leonard is survived by his daughter Trudy Cleland; three grandchildren Andrea Cleland Brown, Victoria Cleland Cousins, and Scott Cleland, their spouses Sean Cousins and Tonya Cleland; and 8 great-grandchildren, Ryan Brown, Emily Brown Gregg, her spouse Richard Gregg, Ashley Brown, Sean Cousins II, Victor Cousins, Megan Cleland, William Cleland, and Sara Cleland.  He has one great-great grandchild Skylar Gregg.

Visitation will be at 10am Saturday, Aug 9th at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home in Lewisville, followed by a memorial service at 11am.  Interment will follow immediately after at Flower Mound Cemetery (1501 Flower Mound Rd) where Leonard will rest eternally alongside Marcell.