Jean Karren Cox, 99, of Cocoa Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026, in her beloved home in Snug Harbor. 

Born July 27, 1926, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Jean was the third of five children and daughter of Roy and Mabel Karren.  She grew up in a close-knit family where faith, service, and hard work were daily examples: her father was a leader in the LDS Church and was a Regional Manager of Babytenda.  Her loving mother kept a lively household humming.

In 1948, with a rich spirit of adventure, Jean moved to New York City and began work as a typist at ABC when it was still a radio station. She made friends at the YWCA, including Elizabeth “Lib” Cox, who worked at NBC. They became roommates, and fast best friends.  In a lighthearted moment that changed everything, Lib mailed her brother, Scudder (then serving with the US Weather Bureau in the Arctic) a photo of Jean along with a playful letter from Jean proposing marriage. The joke soon turned into an epic love story. When Scudder’s service ended, he came to New York to meet his sister—and his future bride. Jean and Scudder were married in Salt Lake City on March 1, 1950.

Scudder had accepted a position with Voice of America, and the newlyweds set off immediately for the Philippines, where Jean welcomed their first child, Brent, in December 1950. On their return to the United States, they seized the chance to circle the globe—stopping in Hawaii and other far-flung places—before settling in Long Island, New York, where their daughter, Robin, was born in November 1952.

In 1954, the family relocated to a then-primitive Cocoa Beach, Florida.  Scudder had accepted a long-term position with RCA as a Communication Engineer at Patrick Airforce Base, alongside the Space Program.  With sandy roads, open vistas, and inexpensive plots, Cocoa Beach offered a blank canvas for Scudder and new adventure for Jean. When asked whether she preferred the ocean or the river, Jean chose the river. Scudder bought the land, designed their home, and built it for the family he adored. They moved in by 1956. It became the center of their lives.  Days were full of children’s laughter, neighborhood gatherings, sunny afternoons sailing the Hobie cat, exciting rocket launches, and quiet evenings by the fireplace. As a testament to the life they made, both Jean and Scudder would eventually pass away in the living room of the home they created.  

Jean was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend—steadfast, gracious, and fun-loving. She loved welcoming people into her home, spending time at the Officers Club, keeping connections strong across miles and years, and traveling whenever she had the chance. She took joy in simple pleasures: a beautiful sunset, a handwritten letter, a perfect manicure, a well-set table, or a poetic toast. Her smile was so vibrant, she lit up every room she entered.  Her adventurous early years—New York newsrooms, overseas posts, and round-the-world travels—blended into a lifetime of connection and generosity, laying deep roots on the Banana River.  

To Jean’s despair, Scudder passed away in December of 2014.  They were together nearly 65 years, and so deeply in love.  Jean’s life began in the mountains, widened across oceans, and came to rest by the river—always marked by courage, kindness, and a home that welcomed all. May her memory be a blessing.

Jean is survived by Brent and Robin, her grandchildren Ernest, Katie and Ariana, and her sister Joy, who will forever cherish her example of faith, loyalty, and love. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bert “Scudder” Cox, and by her sister Venetia and brothers Larry and Wally.