Bill Cox

William “Bill” Frank Cox, 69, of Idaho Falls, passed away July 20, 2026, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

Bill was born May 31, 1957, in Long Beach, California, to Chester Charles and Gloria Marie Lagman Lang. He grew up and attended schools in Southern California. At seventeen he moved to Idaho Falls and graduated from Bonneville High School in 1975.

When Bill was nine years old, his father passed away and Roy Cox became a step-father for Bill. He gave Bill all of his heart so when Bill was twenty-one, he chose to make a permanent name change to Bill Cox.

On April 21, 1979, he married Sharla Marie Burke in Idaho Falls. Bill and Sharla made their home in Monrovia, California, where Bill worked repairing computers for Data General Corporation. In 1982, they transferred with Data General to Salt Lake City, where they had their first child, Kurt. In 1983, they were able to transfer back to Idaho Falls, where Brian and Alison where born.

He was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church. He coached Grid Kid football with son Brian for four years, wrestling for both boys eight years and coached Western Boys Baseball Association for two years. He spent hundreds of hours on the sidelines of soccer fields cheering on his daughter Alison. He was very supportive of his children and their activities. Bill worked for twenty years at Data General and then for eighteen years as an engineer for Union Pacific Railroad, where he logged over a million miles. In 2022, Bill retired from the railroad and he and Sharla started to travel together with friends.

Bill is survived by his wife of 47 years, Sharla Cox of Idaho Falls, ID; son, Kurt (Olivia) Cox of Caldwell, ID; son, Brian Cox of Arvada, CO; daughter, Alison (Cody) Pyette of Great Falls, MT; sister, Gloria Barrere of Pahrump, NV; sister, Janyce (Tom) Teater of Seattle, WA; brother, Charles (Beth) Cox of Seattle, WA; and 2 grandchildren, Hazel Rose Pyette, and a baby Pyette on the way, and Cruz Ezra Cox.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester Lang, Roy and Gloria Cox; sisters, Sharon Turner and Wanda Cox; brothers, Chris Lang and Jaime Cox; and parents-in-law, Victor and Joretta Burke.

Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, July 27, 2026, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. A Rosary will be held Sunday at 6:00 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home 273 N. Ridge, followed by a visitation until 8:00 p.m. Burial will be in the New Sweden Cemetery.

Bill’s final word... “Over”...