Kathryn “Kay” Hickox, 99, of Owings, Maryland passed away on Friday, February 17, 2017 in the Calvert County Nursing Center, Prince Fredrick surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Huntington, West Virginia on July 23, 1917. Kay was one of 8 siblings, born to Frank and Mable (Harvey) Gibbs. She moved to Washington D.C. with her family when she was a teenager. This is where she later met and married her husband Chet “Bill” Hickox, a navy man. Kay loved the military life and traveling all around the United States with her family of four children pretty much raising them alone while her husband was off at sea.

Kay loved being a wife and mother staying home and taking care of her children that she loved dearly. When Bill retired from the Navy after 20 years, they moved back to D.C. where they met, and finished raising their children. When the children were grown and out on their own, Kay who had a knack for styling hair, decided to go to beauty school at the age of 50. After school was completed, she got a job at Maurice-Jo’s salon in District Heights where she worked for several years retiring in 1974.

Kay was formerly an active member of the Morningside VFW. She enjoyed horse racing and would attend the Triple Crown races, bowling and taking family vacations.

Kay is survived by her daughter Donna and her husband Ray Herbert of Chesapeake Beach, daughter Brenda Cornelius of Owings, son Chester Hickox Jr. and his wife Ginger of Chesapeake Beach, and sister Elizabeth Martin of Springfield, Ohio, 9 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Bill Hickox, son Howard Anderson, grandsons Ronald and David Anderson, brothers Robert, Walter, Hershell, and Glen Gibbs and sisters Pauline Robinson and Dorothy Herbert.