Community gathers to remember philanthropist Anne Cox Chambers

ATLANTA — Anne Cox Chambers died Friday in Atlanta. She was 100.

Chambers and her sister, Barbara Cox, who died in May 2007, were owners of the privately held Cox Enterprises since 1974, when their brother, James M. Cox Jr., died and control of the family trust passed to them. Chambers served on the Cox board of directors and retained the title of Chairman of Atlanta Newspapers.

Chambers was named ambassador to Belgium during President Jimmy Carter’s administration and was a dedicated supporter of many causes and institutions including Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Atlanta Speech School, the Atlanta Humane Society, Communities in Schools and the High Museum of Art. She was a charter member of the Forward Arts Foundation.

Chambers is survived by children Margaretta Johnson Taylor, Katharine Johnson Rayner, and James Cox Chambers; four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one niece, one nephew and a host of loving relatives and friends.

If you’d like to make a donation in her name and thank her for her numerous contributions to Atlanta you can do so by donating to her favorite organizations: The High Museum of Art, The Atlanta Botanical Gardens or The Atlanta Humane Society.

Friends and family remembered Chambers during a celebration of life at Thursday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church.

“She was a gentle warrior,” said her son, James C. Chambers, during her service. “She was a visionary who helped visionaries."

Former President Jimmy Carter, who appointed Chambers to her post in Belgium, wrote the greeting for the memorial service program.

“She has been a remarkable businesswoman, philanthropist and a dear personal friend,” it read.

Former Atlanta Mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, who spoke during Thursday’s service, said he called on the family soon after hearing of Chambers’ passing.

“I was offered a cup of tea, and it was the most fragrant, beautiful aroma. One of the great-grandchildren said, ‘This is the honey that goes with it,’” he said. “I sensed a calm and a spirit that reminded me that Mrs. Chambers has gone nowhere. We make a big mistake, I think, by making the walls between life and death so permanent.”

During his remarks, Young saluted Chambers’ support of social equality and reflected on memories of his late grandmother, his time with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and a recently deceased relative as he pondered a person’s ephemeral presence on earth, yet their lasting legacy.

“The spirit of love, the dreams, the hopes, the joys. The honey. The rich but delicate aroma will always be in our lives,” he said. “Thank you, Anne Cox Chambers.”

This article was written by Jennifer Brett with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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