Charles D. Fox Jr., M.D.

1941 - 2020

Harlingen - Charles D. Fox, Jr. died on June 11, 2020. He was born in Nashville, TN on October 12, 1941 to Charles D. and Patricia Brunner Fox who preceded him in death. He is also preceded in death by his first wife Janice Lynn Vollman Fox and brother, William Brunner Fox. He is survived by his wife Juanita Reza Fox, daughters Melissa (Craig Rones - Austin) and Jennifer (Anthony Guthrie - Dallas), grandsons Zachary and Joshua Rones, and sister, Margaret Ann (+Galen Adams - Harlingen). His family moved to Garland, Texas when he was one year old and then Dallas where he grew up.

Charles was a graduate of Jesuit High School Dallas, Southern Methodist University-Dallas, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School-Dallas. He completed his Internship and Surgical Residency at Dallas Methodist Hospital in 1973 and entered the Army of the United States stationed at Fort Campbell Army Hospital, Kentucky as Chief of General Surgery and a staff surgeon. Upon discharge from active duty he moved to Harlingen to enter private surgical practice at Valley Baptist Medical Center and Dolly Vinsant Hospital.

He became a staff surgeon at Valley Baptist Medical Center and later served as Secretary of the Medical Staff and then Chief of Staff. He taught classes to the Intensive Care nurses in critical care and pulmonary care. He was a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the Texas Medical Association. He served on the Trauma Committee of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, as a consultant on the Emergency Care committee of the Texas Health Department. He was a founding member of the Harlingen Paramedic EMS System, the first south of San Antonio.

During his years in practice he joined the U.S. Army Reserve serving as a Company Commander and a Hospital Commander of two Reserve Army Hospitals in Oklahoma and in Ohio. He was a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and reached the rank of Colonel. He served on active duty during Desert Storm at Darnell Army Hospital at Fort Hood, TX. Later he received a second Honorable Discharge. He enjoyed and learned from his experiences in life as a roustabout working in the Oklahoma oil fields, as a "mercenary" delivering babies for $1.50/hr. at Parkland Hospital while in Medical School, as a Jail Doctor at the Dallas City Jail, and doing surgery in an Army tent operating room in the jungles of Belize and Honduras. He laughed a lot and smiled all the time. He retired in 2001 after thirty years as a surgeon. He then enjoyed family get-togethers in the hill country at Lake LBJ and cruising the Caribbean, Atlantic, Mediterranean and other oceans as well as seeing many cities in Europe. He enjoyed riding his Harley motorcycle from East coast to West coast, from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island, across northern Mexico and western Europe. He rode over 250,000 miles and retired his motorcycle when he reached about 75 years old. His philosophy was he was blessed with life, there wasn't a problem that couldn't be solved-eventually, or an adversity that could not be overcome.

Visitation will begin on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church from 9:00 A.M. with a funeral mass to follow at 10:00 A.M. The family wishes to thank the staff at VBMC emergency room, staff of STEC, and especially Dr. Tom Clark. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Priests of the Sacred Heart Monastery, PO Box 900, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130.