When you get married, you expect to spend a long, happy, and healthy life with your partner. However, sometimes life has other plans, and that was certainly the case for Tracey and Rich Cox. They were married for 26 years and remained very in love the entire time. Rich sadly passed away in 2012. However, he’s never let his wife forget how much she meant to him.
- Rich Cox died of throat cancer. He was only 53 when he lost his battle with the terrible disease. The entire time he was sick, Tracey looked after him and made sure he was as comfortable as possible.
- Rich made sure that Tracey would always remember how loved she is. Before he passed away, he arranged for flowers to be sent to his wife for her birthday and Valentine’s Day every year, as they’re only two days apart. How sweet is that?!
- Tracey got her first flowers in 2013, months after Rich died. She had no idea that Rich had arranged such a thing before his passing, and it was an overwhelming experience. “It was really emotional. It was sad, but also happy at the same time because I just knew he’d always be with me,” she told CNN.
- The flowers always include a note from her husband. Sometimes the note simply wish her a happy birthday and Valentine’s Day. Other years, the messages include “I miss you,” which really hits Tracey right in the heart since she feels the same without her beloved husband.
- Many would find the gesture too painful, but not Tracey. In fact, she loves it. “Every time I get them, it really brings back a lot of emotions and joyful tears,” she explained. “It really brings back all the memories we were able to make together.”
- Tracey and Rich’s children have helped their dad carry out his plan. Their daughter Bethany said that Rich told the four kids about his plan before he passed away, and while they don’t know the particulars, they believe their mom, now in her 60s, will receive the flowers for the rest of her life. “We don’t know exactly how it’s done, but we do know that they won’t stop any time soon,” Bethany said.
- Pretty much everyone agrees that Rich was the best. Tracey, of course, thinks he was the best man ever. His kids agree, especially seeing how their dad treated their mom and the relationship their parents shared. “He’s literally the role model of a man that every woman wants to find. A true love story,” Bethany added.
