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Thomas Rodger Cox Obituary

Thomas Rodger Cox

Sept. 23, 1949-Feb 13, 2026

Thomas (“Tom”) Rodger Cox passed away peacefully in Hinsdale, Illinois, after suffering complications from an earlier injury and illness. Tom was born and raised in Akron, Ohio to Thomas P. Cox and Harriette (Milling) Cox, and pursued an art major at the University of Akron. As a young man, Tom was actively involved with the Headstart program, sharing his skills in photography and jewelry design with the next generation. While at the U of A, Tom became involved with the University’s Theatre Guild and quickly caught the bug of all things theatrical, particularly scenic design. Tom was accepted as a member of the IATSE Local 48 in 1974, after which he became an accomplished and in-demand professional stagehand, working on numerous national and international tours and events. Tom rose in reputation as a respected sound/audio engineer, actively sought after not only by theatrical productions but also by the San Francisco Symphony, industrial shows, and various arts organizations in the greater San Francisco and Chicago areas. Over the years, Tom designed, built, and painted many sets for local entities and events in northeastern Ohio, including many mounted for the E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, the Akron Soap Box Derby, Temple Israel, and many others. In 2024, Tom was extremely proud to receive his IATSE Gold card, memorializing his 50 years of career achievements and service.

Tom was known as a true renaissance man, equally at home with the fine and applied arts, a passion for history and the sciences, and any and all things tool-related. Tom was a skilled finish carpenter, builder, and was a licensed general contractor for many years in California. Also as a professional member of the IBEW, Tom was a lead installer/electrician for many interactive exhibits and facilities in California, including the Berkeley Observatory and the Museum of Culinary Arts in Napa.

Tom is survived by his devoted wife of 39 years, Pamela Langston-Cox, and his beloved sister, Pamela (“Pamm”) Cox, who, along with Pamm’s partner and cherished family member Alice Lundgren, were all blessed to be with Tom in his final moments.

Known for his infectious smile and dry wit, Tom brought a mischievous sense to his zest for living life to the fullest–whether zipping around on his motorcycle, at the helm of a sailboat, or traveling the world. While he has finished his last curtain call here, we know Tom is running the sound board for the celestial orchestra and choir, then going off to play his favorite pastime–golf–for all eternity.

A celebration of life will be held in late Spring, with details to follow.

Donations in Tom’s memory may be made to Behind the Scenes (the primary charity affiliated with IATSE, providing financial assistance to its members who are seriously ill or injured, offering mental and suicide prevention resources, and natural disaster relief); St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Rubber City Rescue or your local non-kill animal shelter.

IATSE Local #48 Business Agent, Irene Mack-Shafer, Receives Her 20 Year Service Pin!

Brother Bob Czup And IATSE Local #48 President John Bryg Receive Their 30 Year Service Pins!

Brother Mark Ashmore Receives His 30 Year Service Pin!

Union Payroll Info Session. Monday February 16, 2026 at the Union Hall 647 North Main St. Akron. 5:00 pm doors. 5:30pm start. Please RSVP HERE.

Sister Pat Donovan Receives Her 45 Year Service Pin!

The Education Committee will hold a class in DMX and Cat5 cabling

on January 26, 2026, 5:30 PM at the Union Hall. Doors are at 5:00 PM.

Click here to RSVP

Brother and Sisters of IATSE Local #48 and Hiring Hall Employees:

Our payroll system will be changing on January 1, 2026.

We will now be paid through Barney Monk.

Please click here to register with Barney Monk

Select "New Applicants" for those who have not worked with Barney Monk

previously. If folks have worked with Barney Monk previously, they can select

"Existing Employee Portal", and log in there. If they do not remember

their username and/or password, they can click the links on the portal,

or folks can contact our office directly for support:

(216) 672-4288 or

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To create an account, select "IATSE 48 (Akron)" as a Branch, then "Barney Monk Application" as a Workflow. Click "Get Started" to complete the application. Have your Driver's License or other ID ready, as well as your bank account information for direct deposit. After your application is submitted, you will receive confirmation from Barney Monk. I will be working with Barney Monk to continue payroll notifications prior to each payday, but a list of shows paying may be less than ideal initially. We'll see how it goes.

Brother Larry Spiegler Receives His 50 Year Scroll!

Please use this new link for the Blossom Music Center Workday Website Login:

Blossom Workday Website

Brother Joe Schreiber Receives His 50 Year Scroll!

Please visit this website for important info about parking in downtown Akron:

Brother Tim Shuff Receives His 50 Year Scroll!

Galina Vinograd Receives Her 30 Year Service Pin!

2025 Barberton Labor Day Parade!

Brother Chuck Wolfe, Sr. Receives His Gold Card!

Andrea Fertig And Nirmeen Khanfar Are Sworn In As New Members!

Brother Jesse Feister Receives His 25 Year Service Pin!

Brother Tom Stewart Receives His Gold Card!

Demitry Klingensmith is sworn in as a new Member of Local #48.

Brother John Bloom Receives His 20 Year Service Pin!

Brother Marky Ray Poritsky Receives His 25 Year Service Pin!

Brother Paul Teagle Receives His 35 Year Service Pin!

BALLET THEATRE OF OHIO presents Brother Curtis Hudson with a retirement gift/balloons.

Bryan Lajeunesse and Dane Fellenstein Are Sworn In As New Members!

Brother Terry Powers Receives His 25 Year Service Pin!

A note from our Secretary: As we enter a more digital age, there are more bad actors out there. Recently there has been a concerted attack to access our union systems. Please make sure you check with any of our technical team if you are requested to update any information. Gregory M. Vinci is the webmaster, and is the first person you should contact, however, I am also available for any questions. I am also adding a helpful website you can reference for more information on phishing.

A reminder that the University of Akron has outsourced its parking services. Daily parking passes for those working at EJ Thomas Hall are now about $11.50 total and can only be purchased through this website. Create a new account here to purchase a parking pass when you work at EJ Thomas Hall.