Joseph Sidney Wilcox, Jr., passed away peacefully on July 13 following a brief illness. He was 87.
Born in Keene, NH, he was the son of Joseph Sidney Wilcox and Marguerite Hopkins Wilcox.
Me. Wilcox graduated in1949 from Yale University, where he studied engineering and was a pitcher for the baseball team. He also served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to the end of World War II.
In 1953, he married Suzanne Belknap Whitney. He and Suzy settled in Riverside, CT, where they raised three sons. He began his career in engineering, but was quickly introduced to the real estate business and spent the balance of his long career in that pursuit. He founded Wilcox & Company in Greenwich and served as the President of the Greenwich Board of Realtors. He and his longtime friend and business partner founded Beech Tree Realty, a developer of commercial real estate in central Greenwich. He was also a Director of the Putnam Trust Company.
Mr. Wilcox was also active in politics. He served on the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting, as well as the National Highway Safety Commission, and was involved as an officer of several political campaigns.
He was an avid sportsman. Throughout his entire life, he enjoyed skiing in New England, which became a central family activity. He was a wily left-handed tennis player, and over the past thirty years an active golfer. Mr. Wilcox was a member of the Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club, the Sea Oaks Beach & Tennis Club, and the Riverside Yacht Club, where he kept his sailboats over the years. His sailing adventures with Suzy spanned the entire coastline and waterways from Massachusetts to Florida.
In recent years, Joe and Suzy have divided their time between their long-time Riverside residence and a home in Vero Beach, FL.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Suzy, and his sister Harriett Starr, of Cos Cob. He is also survived by his three sons: Joseph Wilcox III of Bridgewater, Whitney Wilcox of Darien, and Jonathan Wilcox of Cos Cob, as well as their wives and five grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his sister Marion Kolbe, formerly of Darien.
A memorial service will be held in Riverside at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice . The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to assist the Wilcox family with the arrangements.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com
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