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J. Robertson "Robbi" Cox, architect

J. Robertson "Robbi" Cox, 73, of Westtown, an architect who designed corporate headquarters and educational facilities, died Thursday, Nov. 28, of pancreatic cancer at Paoli Hospital.

J. R. "Robbi" Cox
J. R. "Robbi" CoxRead more

J. Robertson "Robbi" Cox, 73, of Westtown, an architect who designed corporate headquarters and educational facilities, died Thursday, Nov. 28, of pancreatic cancer at Paoli Hospital.

Mr. Cox's buildings can be seen in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Georgia. He also planned and designed country clubs, some local.

Born in Janesville, Wis., he grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and went from there to Dartmouth College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1962.

Five years later, he earned a master's degree in architecture and fine arts from the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he received the Paul Philippe Cret American Institute of Architects Medal for Design Excellence in 1962, 1963, and 1964.

From 1976 to 1984, Mr. Cox was a partner and studio director with Kling Lindquist Partnership Inc. From 1984 to 1992, he was a principal and director of design for Curtis Cox Kennerly. Both architectural firms are in Philadelphia.

Mr. Cox joined Moeckel Carbonell Associates Inc. in Wilmington, where he worked as principal and director of design from 1992 to 2002. For the next seven years, he was a principal with Blackney Hayes Architects in Philadelphia, retiring in 2009 to become a consulting architect.

In that role, he helped plan and design golf and country club facilities. They included structures at Pine Valley Golf Club of New Jersey; Philadelphia Cricket Club; Aronimink Golf Club; Huntingdon Valley Country Club; Lookaway Golf Club in Buckingham, Bucks County; Burning Tree Club in Bethesda, Md.; and the Merion Golf Club, where he was a marshal during the U.S. Open in June.

He earned many awards for excellence in design. One was for the Connelly Center at Villanova University. Another was for work on the Riverfront Wilmington development along the Christina River.

Mr. Cox served on the board of directors for many architectural review boards. He also led the Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, and was a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow.

Mr. Cox was devoted to family and friends, and remained in touch with his college fraternity brothers. He loved playing golf and following ice hockey and auto racing. "We attended the Indy 500 several times, and he even took a car-racing course," said his wife, the former Meredith Neely.

"Scottish to the bone," Mr. Cox was a member of the St. Andrew's Society, his wife said.

Surviving, besides his wife, are a son, Andrew; a daughter, Cameron Hirtz; two grandchildren; and two sisters. A son, Todd, died in 1994.

A memorial service will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at All Saints' Church, 1325 Montgomery Ave., Wynnewood. A luncheon will follow at the Merion Cricket Club, Montgomery Avenue, Haverford. Burial is private.

Donations may be made to the General Scholarship Fund, Dartmouth College, 6066 Development Office, Hanover, N.H. 03775.