Carla J. Cox age 79 of Portage passed away Wednesday morning, September 9, 2026. Carla was born in Kalamazoo on October 21, 1946, the daughter of Carl and Elizabeth (Skippers) Decker. On October 27, 1972, she married James “Jim” Cox who preceded her in death in 2022. She attended Michigan State University and graduated from Western Michigan University. Carla was an amazing schoolteacher for 38 years. She taught at Edison Elementary for most of those years. As a schoolteacher, she took advantage of having her time off in the summer at the beach in South Haven or golf course. Carla was an avid golfer. She was the Secretary for the Tuesday Night Ladies League at States Golf Course in Schoolcraft. She spent a great deal of time with her family, playing cards and just hanging out with her grandchildren who adored her. Carla is survived by her son, Zachary (Sarah) Cox; daughter-in-law, Nicole Cox; grandchildren, Morgan (Keygan) Clark, Alex Cox, Cooper Cox; great granddaughter, Mya Clark; sister, Cheri (Mike) Rogers; brothers-in-law, Dan Zonyk and Matt Wilson; nieces and nephews; and many friends. Besides her husband, Carla was preceded in death by her parents; son, Dason Cox; sisters, Caryn Zonyk, Cindy Wilson, Carol (Lloyd) Plantier.