William Robert “Bill” Fox Sr. passed away March 7 after a hard fought battle with cancer.
Mr. Fox was born on Jan. 14, 1943, to Donald and Mary Pauline (Lynch) Fox, the youngest of their eight children.
Mr. Fox is survived by his loving family: son, William R. “Rob” Fox Jr. and daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Ann (Kernica) Fox; son, Michael W. Fox; three adored grandchildren, Wesley Hatch, Arabella Rose, and Mavrick Tanner, who were the light of his life; sisters, Freda (Fox) Mulloy and Shirley (Fox) Parker-Sheffield; brother-in-law, Donald Roth; and dozens of nieces, nephews, and beloved family and friends.
Mr. Fox was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Levern (Samples) Fox; beloved daughter-in-law, Melanie Dawn (Tackett) Fox; his parents, Donald and Mary Pauline (Lynch) Fox; in-laws, Wesley and Mary Elizabeth (Tippens) Samples; sister, Mary Jean and husband Thomas Morgan; brother, Donald Fox; sister, Pauline (Fox) Roth; sister, Donna (Fox) and husband John Wade; brother, James and wife Connie (Roach) Fox; brothers-in-law, John Mulloy, Bud Parker, and Clyde Sheffield; sister-in-law, Sally Roth; brother-in-law, Wayne Samples and his wife, Pat; nephews, Danny Wade, Paul Fox, Mike Mulloy, and Brian Roth; and special great-nephew, Jeff Dean.
Mr. Fox attended Catholic schools in Knoxville and enjoyed his many lasting friendships with his classmates throughout his life. He was a dedicated electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 760 for over 60 years. Following the family tradition, he became an apprentice in 1964 and topped out as a journeyman wireman in 1969. During this time, he met and married his beautiful bride, Levern, and started his family. Over his career, he worked many jobs in the eastern United States. After retiring in January 2005, he enjoyed attending retiree lunches and meetings throughout his remaining years.
Mr. Fox was an avid gardener, as were many of his siblings. He could grow anything from a cutting and knew just about anything you ever needed to know about plants, flowers, and trees. He enjoyed his garden and sharing his knowledge with everyone.
Mr. Fox got along well with anyone he met and spent time with. He enjoyed cutting up with all on his patio over a drink. His cantankerous ways made him endearing and fun to sit and chat with. In his later years, his happiest times were spending time with family, especially his grandchildren. You never left time with him without a smile and a ton of laughs. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Fox was celebrated at All Saints Church on March 16. Burial at Calvary Cemetery followed the Mass.
