At Bartlett Dining Commons, the friends and co-workers of Marcus Cox are remembering a man who was multitalented, generous, and committed to “celebrating your birthday like it was his birthday.” Cox had worked at Bartlett as a display cook since late 2011, and had previously lived in Milwaukee.

On September 27 at 4:22 a.m., Cox, 28, was fatally shot in the abdomen on the 9600 block of South Morgan Avenue, in the Longwood Manor neighborhood.

Tony Evans and Dwight McGee, who both currently work at Bartlett, said that Cox was a generous person who attended all of his co-workers’ family events, irrespective of his other obligations. Evans said that he remembers how Cox attended Evans’ wife’s baby shower and apologized for not bringing a present by showering both wife and baby with a stack of dollar bills.

“Marcus was the kind of guy you wouldn’t mind being around; he celebrated your birthday like it was his birthday, and he brought the liquor,” he said.

McGee said that Cox attended his uncle’s funeral, and was “the first one to get there and the last one to leave.”

Evans added that Cox was also well liked for his optimism and sense of humor.

“He shut Facebook down when he passed away. Marcus was a well-liked guy by everybody. He didn’t argue or fight; if you were mad at him, you’d let it go in 30 seconds. He’d say something to make you laugh.”

After being shot, Cox was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died of his wounds later that day. According to Thomas Sweeney, news affairs officer for the Chicago Police Department (CPD), a criminal investigation into Cox’s death is ongoing, but no suspects have been named.

Cleveland Wilson, Cox’s first cousin, came to the scene after the shooting. He said that Cox was likely robbed before he was shot, as he was found missing his wallet and car keys. He added that Cox was also shot in the ankle and that there were seven shells on the ground at the crime scene. Sweeney refused to comment on the details provided by Wilson.

Wilson said that he will remember his cousin’s off-the-job passions for playing sports, video games, going to clubs, and cooking.

“We grew up together. Marcus liked to party; he’d go to bars for a few drinks, and dress up like a nerd and dance like a nerd. He also did MMA [Mixed Martial Arts], was good at Madden and 2K, and loved restaurant food. He was also big into cooking and eating desserts. You could also make a whole cake, and half of it would be gone the next day. He took a big slice,” Wilson said.

A wake and funeral for Marcus Cox will be held on Saturday at the Leak and Sons Funeral Chapel, which is located at 18400 South Pulaski Road in Country Club Hills, IL. Services begin at 9 a.m.