James Leon Fox
James Leon Fox entered eternal life on November 17, 2022, lovingly surrounded by his family and caregivers in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was 90. Jim was the beloved husband, friend, and partner in life of Janice Lee (Harris) Fox. They were married for 51 years.
Born on May 28, 1932, in Westwood, Pennsylvania, Jim was the only child of Mary and Leon Fox. He grew up in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, graduated in the class of 1950 from Scott Senior High School where he won the prestigious Lukens Steel Company Scholarship Grant, and attended Drexel Institute of Technology, studying civil engineering.
He worked for Lukens for 30 years in Coatesville; Genoa, Italy; and Burlingame, California where he met Janice at the First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame (FPCB). They were married in 1971 and blessed with two children: Jennifer and Jonathan. Jim retired early from Lukens at age 52 and went on to work as Business Manager at FPCB for nine years.
He loved dining and traveling with Jan – especially throughout Europe, a bright spot being a cruise through the Hebrides with good friends. Beyond his characteristic watercolor and oil paintings, he had a creative genius for infusing magic, beauty, and warmth into his surroundings through gardening, furniture building, home improvement, and his discerning eye for decorating.
Beginning in 1999, Jim and Jan split their time between California and Michigan, where they renovated her family’s old farmhouse – a stone’s throw from Lake Huron – before moving to “the farm” permanently in 2018. In his final years, Jim suffered from dementia and was lovingly cared for by Janice until recently entering a memory care unit in Fort Collins, close to his daughter.
Jim is remembered for his strong faith, artistic talent, quick wit, sense of humor, contagious laugh, and his masterful storytelling – especially of his own youthful misadventures. He is survived by his wife Janice, daughter Jennifer (husband Sean Pauzauskie), and son Jonathan (wife Heather). He lived a full life, loved his family and friends, and always – even to the very end – appreciated a good story.
Memorial service information to be announced at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).
