Huntington ’88 Alumnus Dies in Tragic Collision of News Helicopters
In an almost surreal freak accident, Huntington High School Class of 1988 member Jim Cox was killed while working as a photojournalist for KTVK Channel 3 in Phoenix, Arizona when the news helicopter he was riding in collided with a second news helicopter. Both choppers had been covering a police chase involving a stolen truck on July 27. 
Mr. Cox transferred to Huntington from St. Anthony’s High School. Following his graduation, he attended Arizona State University, where in 1993 he obtained his undergraduate degree in broadcasting after studying in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Born in Kingston, New York on February 20, 1970, Mr. Cox moved to Huntington as a three year old and enjoyed what family members described as an “idyllic childhood,” playing in his backyard pool and at local beaches and generally goofing around. He loved college and the Southwest, visiting surrounding states and the Grand Canyon, skiing in Flagstaff, Arizona, sailing, playing golf and enjoying the great outdoors.
Mr. Cox was the son of Alan and Barbara Cox. His sisters, Leslie and Jennifer also graduated from Huntington High School in 1983 and 1985, respectively. Both sisters now live in Texas. 
“While we will never get over this loss, or recover from this tragedy, I do hope we can learn something from Jimmy” states the family’s obituary for their loved one. “We should try to live life like him – passionately, with conviction and with a true zeal for life. Jim will never, ever be forgotten – he was too special a person – and we all need to try to be like him.”
Following his college graduation he worked for the Arizona Cardinals football team before landing a position at KTVK in January 1995 and beginning what was widely considered a successful photojournalism career. KTVK is owned by Belo Corp., a large media company with 7,100 employees, $1.6 billion in revenues and stations in Texas, Rhode Island and in the mid-Atlantic, Northwest and Southwest states. In all, it boasts 20 TV stations, including six in the largest 15 broadcast markets.
It also owns or operates six cable news stations, more than 30 websites and numerous daily newspapers, including among others the Dallas Morning News and the Providence Journal.
The mid-air afternoon helicopter collision stunned Phoenix and the region. The two choppers crashed down into Indian Steele Park. The grounds of a nearby school are serving as a makeshift memorial area and have quickly filled with flowers. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident and the park area has been sealed off. An effort to erect a permanent memorial at the site to the four individuals that perished in the accident is underway.
Jenn Hoffman, another Huntington graduate (’96) lives in Phoenix and worked for a while with Mr. Cox as a TV reporter. “Although I didn’t know Jim in Huntington, I did briefly work with him at KTVK,” she said last week. “I was a reporter at 3TV in fall 2006. I didn’t know Jim well, but he was known by everyone in the industry as a nice guy and a terrific photographer. The accident occurred about a mile away from my house. I could see the chaos from my roof deck. The whole city of Phoenix is really shaken up by this tragedy. I hope his family finds a way to recover from their terrible loss.”
Mr. Cox is also survived by his girlfriend, Suzanne Laird and many nieces and nephews who knew him as “Uncle Dude.” His family said he had “great stories” and was a “kid at heart” who “loved to play.” About two months ago the family reunited in New York for a reunion.
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