Richard Allen Fox

Richard Allen Fox was born in Garner, Iowa on June 12, 1947 to Lewis and Mary (Appelhons) Fox. He passed away December 12, 2016, at Mansfield Methodist Hospital, in Mansfield, Texas, where he had made his home with his family since 1977.

Memorial services for Richard Fox will be held on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 10:30 AM at Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center Street West in Britt with Pastor Jason Boomgarden officiating.

Rich graduated from Britt High School in 1965 and attended NIACC for 1 1/2 years. He was united in marriage to Linda Simpson on May 6, 1967 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. To this union two children were born, Richard Luis and Rachel Anne.

Rich served in the Army Reserves for six years during the Viet Nam War. He worked in the RV Industry for many years, transferring to Texas, Kansas, and back to Texas in 1977. Rich also obtained a realtors license and worked for Davis-McNatt Properties. Rich later was employed by Ace Hardware for many years as a warehouse supervisor, and retired from Mouser Electronics in 2012.

Rich enjoyed playing softball for many years in Iowa and Texas. He also loved hunting in Texas and Colorado and fishing anywhere. He was also a lover of morning crosswords, country gospel, old time rock and roll and could usually be found with his radio in hand. Rich also loved his country deeply, and was known to chastise anyone who failed to remove their hat for the National Anthem. And if you looked closely, you probably would have seen a tear or two every time it was sung.

Rich was a member of Central Baptist Church in Mansfield, where he was a past deacon, and where he and his family were baptized before his son Richard left for active duty.

Rich is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Linda of Mansfield, Texas; his children, Richard Fox and wife Mary, Centerville, Tennessee, and Rachel Clem and husband Tim, Burelson, Texas; two grandchildren, Amanda Aydelott, Nashville, Tennessee and Brandon Clem, Burleson, Texas. He is also survived by two sisters, Jan Klaas and husband Dave, of State Center, Iowa, their children Chris, Jamie (Patty) and Heidi and their families, and Becky Wegner, Mason City, Iowa and her son David; and special cousins Gary and Sandy Fox, Mason City, Iowa. He is also survived by sisters and brothers-in-law Danny and Dorothy Biondi, Sheldahl, Iowa, Denny and Leannah Wailes, Scranton, Iowa, Dale and Joan Simpson, Poway, California, George and Miriam Simpson, Ventura, Iowa and Mike and Jannie West, Wesley, Iowa; one uncle, Joe Appelhons, Britt, Iowa, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Rich was preceded in death by his parents Lewis and Mary Fox, mother and father-in-law Louis and Ruth Simpson, and brother-in-law Don Simpson.