Darlene Plantier, age 66, passed away on June 11, 2020 at UCSD Hospital in La Jolla, after a long and courageous fight with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). She was a dearly loved wife, stepmother, sister, and friend who will be sadly missed.

Darlene S. Cox was born on August 9, 1953 in Detroit, Michigan. She was the first child of Herbert and Flora Cox, followed by a younger sister Crystal — her adoring sidekick and lifelong friend. Darlene and her husband Eugene were married in Poway, California, on October 24, 1998.

Darlene graduated from Henry Ford High School in 1971. Notably, Darlene was the first-ever female trailer truck driver at FedEx in Detroit, where she worked from 1973 to 1981, transporting cargo from the airport to the depot. She was a hardworking and independent young woman who bought her own home in Detroit in 1975, when she was only 22 years old.

Darlene moved to Poway in 1982, to live near her retired parents and sister. She programmed and operated numerically controlled machinery at General Dynamics from 1985 until the San Diego facility closed in 1995. She was also a school bus driver in Poway for several years prior to her retirement in 2000.

Darlene was a lifetime member of the Poway VFW Ladies Auxiliary, and was honored to serve as President for two years in the late 1980s. She enjoyed dancing and practiced ballet in her younger years. She was also an avid golfer and a member of Stoneridge Country Club (with her husband Gene) for ten years, before the couple moved in retirement to Sun City, AZ.

Darlene is survived by her husband, Eugene, his two sons, and five grandchildren: Ray and his two children, Kyle and Travis, of Temecula, CA; and Phil and his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Ryan, Tyler, and Emily, of Poway, CA. She is also survived by her sister Crystal Cox, of Poway, several cousins, and many cherished friends, including a special caregiver (Desirae Carteron) to whom the family will always be thankful.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date, as a gathering is not possible at this time. Please check back for information in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Darlene's memory can be made to the ALS Association, Greater San Diego Chapter, 9929 Hibert Street, Ste. A, San Diego, CA 92131.

http://webgsd.alsa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GSD_homepage