Matthew Cox
Matthew Cox was born in Houston, Texas, in 1965 to Chester and Aida Cox. He was raised in Texarkana and graduated from Liberty-Eylau High School in 1983. “I started working in the banking industry first, at State First National Bank, and later at Commercial National Bank, until a local restaurant came up for sale. “I decided to invest in Vijitos Grill and Club and it became one of my favorite places and careers to date,” Matthew says. He truly enjoyed getting to know and serve many people over the years, especially when it came to being part of special occasions such as engagements, birthdays, anniversaries, and watching families grow. However, when economical times began to change and one of Matthew’s servers was held at gunpoint in 2004, he believed it was time to part ways with Vijitos. He was also the sole owner of the Bar C in Domino, Texas, but eventually sold the establishment in 2009.
However, Vijitos is where Matthew would meet the love of his life, Michelle. She became a regular customer, hanging out with mutual friends and customers, which led to an introduction of the couple. Today, the couple has been married for 30 years and they have four children. Their first child, Matthew B Cox, Jr, did not survive birth. Matthew says, “Becoming a father was, in the beginning, a true hardship as we learned that our firstborn child was not developing as he should. Around the four-month marker, we learned he was anencephalic. His brain and skull never developed. He was delivered around five months but did not survive the birth due to abnormalities. We gave him my name, Matthew B Cox, Jr, and he is buried in Baby Land at Chapelwood Memorial Garden.”
The next few months brought many challenges to the Cox family after the loss of their firstborn. About six months after their loss, Michelle became pregnant with their first daughter. “This pregnancy also brought a great heaviness as we ended up with a false positive genetics test. I remember the day very well as we sat in front of Dr. Brown, and he gave us the news that our child could have Down Syndrome and recommended further testing. Michelle and I looked at each other, and I knew we wouldn’t do the tests. Instead of putting the baby in danger, we chose to pray about it and trust in God to handle it for us. We had no idea the health of our new baby until I held her in my arms for the first time on December 14, 1996. It was a moment of great joy and even greater relief as I held the most perfect baby for whom we had no name at the time. We finally agreed that, about an hour later, she would be named Courtney,” Matthew says.
Today, Courtney Foster is 28 years old and married to Justin. They have two beautiful daughters: Lyla (10) and Landry (2). Courtney currently works as a hairstylist alongside Michelle at Bello Capelli Salon.
Corey Porche, age 24, is the couple’s middle daughter, married to Shayne. They have a daughter, Cameryn (3), and are expecting the Cox’s first grandson. Corey works as a shift manager and barista at Starbucks in Atlanta, Texas. The Cox’s youngest daughter, Chloe, passed away in 2017 at the age of 13 from a deadly brain tumor. Matthew refers to her as the “most beautiful angel of all.”
“Becoming a father has been challenging, scary, and heartbreaking; yet the most amazing and joyful experience as well! I had a great relationship with my father. He taught me how to be the husband and father I am today. He was committed to his family and provided for us,” Matthew says.
Matthew advises younger fathers to be a good role model that their children can follow. He says, “It is important to demonstrate good ethics in the home through relationships, work, and beliefs. Always take the time to talk to your kids about everything and show up for them no matter how hard it may be. Lastly, tell them you love them every chance you get.”