Harold Dean Fox

Harold Dean Fox, age 85, went to be with his Lord on Oct. 11, 2025.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Julia Fountain Fox of Arcadia, Fla., and sons James Theadore Fox (Karen Renea) of Drakesboro, Ky., and Stuart Dean Fox (Mary Beth) of Anthem, Ariz. Also surviving are six grandchildren, Chasity Phelps, Jeremy Fox, Amber Fox Dyer (Christopher), Nikolas Gilliam, Chellsya Gish and Elizabeth Gish; and great-grandchildren Taylor Knight, Emily Dyer, Olivia Dyer, Christopher Dyer, Gracelynn Dyer, Noah Dyer, Hazley Berry and James Armstrong.

Harold was one of thirteen children born to Marwood Theadore Fox and Beulah Fred Nickens Fox of Dunmor, Ky. Two brothers, George Russell Fox and Lyndell Ray Fox (Nancy), survive him. He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Margaret Elizabeth Fox, Cecil Pearl Fox, Warren Hardin Fox (Lucille), Lawrence Robert Fox, Zola Elaine Fox Steinbrink (Richard), Frank Jewell Fox (Ruby), Myrtle Mae Fox Miller (Bert), Thomas Theadore Fox (Vera), Wayne Dale Fox and Rufus Eugene Fox, and sister-in-law Linda Fox.

Harold was a faithful member of the Church of Christ in Kentucky and Port Charlotte, Fla. He often led singing and was active in church business, including volunteering with the food bank run by the Port Charlotte congregation.

From October 1959-October 1963, Harold served as an aviation navigation equipment repairman in the U.S. Air Force. He married Julia Grace Fountain on Jan. 6, 1962, in Richlands, N.C. The couple moved to California after Harold left the Air Force. He worked in the aviation electronics field for ten years before moving back home to Dunmor to work for the Tennessee Valley Authority. He retired from TVA in 1999 as a senior instrument mechanic.

Harold and Judy settled in Arcadia Village, in Florida, where he loved to play golf, sing karaoke, and compete in fierce domino contests with his many friends. Harold was not one to sit idle. He served on the Arcadia Village golf course commission and was always ready to lend a hand to a neighbor. With his close friends Tom Adams and Dick Strohmeyer, "Tom, Dick and Harry" spent many hours helping neighbors with remodeling and repair projects in the village.

On visits to North Carolina, Harold could be found helping his in-laws lay flooring, replace water heaters, bush hog the farm, install trusses atop a mountain cabin, and anything else that needed to be done. He was happiest when he had a project to work on.

Harold Fox never met a stranger. While tracing his Fox family history in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada, some years ago, he approached a woman who was tending to a grave in the cemetery where some of his ancestors were buried. The grave belonged to the woman's mother, who was the local historian - as well as a distant relative. From the Kingsville history, he learned that some of his family had been captured by Native Americans and literally sold down the river - the Detroit River - in the 1800s. They were ransomed by William Macomb, a wealthy landowner, and set to work on his Grosse Ile, Michigan, farm to repay their debt.

Harold and Judy enjoyed traveling, whether by car on a month-long trip around the United States, on a cruise to the Caribbean, Hawaii or Alaska, or flying off to tour Japan or Europe. Their life together was filled with the love of family, friends and adventures.

Harold was cremated and will be interred at the John R. Fountain family cemetery in Back Swamp, N.C., at a later date. No services are planned.

Memorials may be made to Port Charlotte Church of Christ, 20484 Midway Blvd., Port Charlotte, FL 33952