Howard W. Coxon

ONTARIO- Howard Woodrow Coxon, 92, died peacefully in his sleep at the family farm Sunday, July 8, 2007.

Pre-deceased by his wife Paula, he was the father of Marcus of Sharon, Brian, Graeme and Carol; father-in-law to Jonna and Bruce; and grandfather to Sara-Katherine, Hanna, Sam, William and Nicholas. He was also brother to Jean Richmond- Watson; brother-in-law to Margot and Roberto Gualtieri; uncle to Eric, Inger and Domenic; and partner to Helga Goddard.

He was very connected to his roots in Mexico, where he was born in Tampico in 1915. Returning with his parents to England, he received an M.A. in history from Cambridge. He left the UK after World War II, having served in the Royal Air Force as squadron leader, and arrived in Ottawa, where he married Paula Peters in 1950.

He began his career with Imperial Oil Ltd. in Toronto, and subsequently moved to the province of British Columbia. He moved back to Toronto, and then to New York City in 1967, where he worked as deputy vice president of marketing for the Exxon Corporation, until his retirement in 1975.

In 1979, he and his wife settled in Northumberland County, Ontario, on the farm chosen by her to be the family gathering point and base for their many travels in retirement.

A remembrance gathering for him was held at the farm on July 12.