June 15, 1958 – May 13, 2023

We are extremely saddened by the loss of Bruce Cox who passed away on May 13 at the age of 64. He is survived by his wife Joan, his children Elise and Forrest, and his two grandchildren Chloe and Tayton.
Bruce was born on June 15, 1958, at West Covina Hospital in southern California. He lived in Hacienda Heights until the age of thirteen, when he and his family moved to South Lake Tahoe. Bruce graduated from South Tahoe High School in 1976 then worked at Raley’s at the “Y” for thirty-five years. He also worked for the U.S. Forest Service for a period of time and volunteered at Lake Valley Fire Department for more than ten years where he took tremendous pride in being Vice President of their association. After retiring from Raley’s, he worked at the Juvenile Treatment Center for Eldorado County and was able to do what meant the most to him: helping others. Forced into early retirement from the JTC due to medical issues, Bruce continued helping others by volunteering at Bread and Broth and cooking meals at the Presbyterian Church for those in need. He also volunteered for the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless in their “Warm Room.”
In his free time, Bruce enjoyed skiing at Heavenly and Kirkwood and getting away from the resorts into our epic backcountry. He loved riding his mountain bike on Tahoe trails, cruising his kayak in the lake, early morning dog walks on and around Kiva Beach, and driving his old Jeep with the top off during the summer. Bruce also adored taking Elise and Forrest on camping trips in their younger years and teaching them how to fish.
Most of all, though, Bruce rooted for the underdog—standing up for the less fortunate and helping those truly in need who had no one to turn to. He felt that giving back to the community and helping others was his duty here on Earth, and Bruce truly loved doing just that until the end.
To honor Bruce’s memory, his family hopes that if you—or anyone you know—struggle with drugs, alcohol, depression, or mental illness of any kind, that you will reach out to friends, family, or local organizations who want to remind you that you are not alone. These struggles can feel isolating, so we hope you will tell those who matter to you how much you love and care about them.
In his memory, the family would be grateful for any donations made to Bread and Broth or the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless to help extend Bruce’s legacy of empathy to those in need.
To those who would like to join us in celebrating Bruce Cox’s life, we will be meeting at Kiva Beach for an early morning walk and breakfast on August 25, from 8-11am. His family would love to see you there.