This page is dedicated to the memory of William Edgar Coxe (1958-2020). A civilian service of the Church follows. A military honors ceremony appears as a separate video near the end of this page.
The ministry of the Order for Christian Burial, called the Service of Witness to the Resurrection in the Book of Common Worship, maintains three goals for conducting the service:
- Witness to Jesus Christ, in whom is life abundant, and life eternal;
- Remember the Lord’s gift of a life that enriched our own; and
- Comfort those who mourn by pastoral application of words and traditions from the Holy Scriptures and the common life of the Church that will bring spiritual healing to broken hearts.
May the Triune Lord grant His Spirit to accomplish these pastoral goals by the wisdom of the Father, the exaltation of the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
One of the most touching tributes came from Ed’s daughter Kristen. I trust you will read it for this loving daughter’s expressions are a vital part of the service experience.—M.M.
DADDY
By Kristin Nicole Coxe
As I gaze at his chair It seems so unfair
That life must go on without him.
His laughter so dear Is no longer here
But all of my dreams are about him.
When I go to bed He is no longer dead.
His feet dance through the night.
His spirit moves through me
As he whispers to me
“Please hug Maureen for me tonight.”
“And tell her I love her.
I am just above her,
I hear her when she is weeping.
Tell her not to cry, Our love did not die.
I hold her as she is sleeping.
“I live through our pictures
And our favorite scriptures.
Our love keeps me alive.
And for her, I will wait
And hold Heaven’s gate
The day that she arrives.”
Oh, Daddy, I hear you.
My heart does not fear you.
I only hope that you know
How much I adore you
And place none before you.
I will never let you go.
But That’s a Story For Another Day
One of Ed’s friends, Kevin Acosta, collected some of Ed’s (and Berlin’s) famous Facebook stories. He compiled this in this clever brochure. We hope you enjoy it.
See the story board for this service here: https://spark.adobe.com/page/NBD2LkINyFZc1/
What a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. Rest in Peace my friend. Until we meet again.
Prayers for Maureen and the family amid fond memories of my friend. Life and careers took us to different ends of the map so I had not spoken with Ed for over 40 years… only to be virtually reunited through the magic of Facebook and his shared recollection and tales shared in the “Remember Watson When” and “Live Oak Memory Lane” pages… but that laugh if his echoes in my head still. So glad he wrote down so many of the escapades of youth from the Watson ‘70s.
Such a moving and beautiful tribute for Ed. Thank you for sharing.