Ralph C. Cox; Retired Sign Builder, Avid Bicyclist

Ralph Carmen Cox, an avid bicycle rider who enjoyed riding to Ventura Harbor and Surfers Point, died Wednesday in an Oxnard hospital after a six-month battle with pneumonia. He was 77.

Cox was born Sept. 21, 1920, in Toronto and remained a staunch ice hockey enthusiast and Maple Leafs fan all his life.

Cox was a sign builder for 35 years after immigrating to the United States.

He moved from the San Fernando Valley in retirement and lived the last decade in Ventura.

He regaled friends and relatives with stories and jokes, said his son-in-law, Steve Hendricks of Ventura.

An Irish tenor, Cox loved to sing such songs as “Danny Boy” and spend time with his only daughter, Janis.

“He loved being by the ocean, just being able to go down to the beach on his bike,” Hendricks said. “I never saw him angry. He was a happy guy with a good laugh who loved to tell a joke.”

In addition to his daughter and son-in-law, Hendricks’ survivors include his wife, Julie; two sons, Paul Cox of Victorville and Ronald Cox of South Lake Tahoe; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

Memorial services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura with burial to follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park.