Submitted by: Dan Rich
March 30, 1921 - May 24, 2008
South Bend Tribune 5/29/2008 (Excerpts)
SOUTH BEND - Mr. Fox was a native of South Bend, Indiana, and a
recent resident of both Sarasota, FL, and St. James, Beaver
Island, MI. He also traveled to Kauai, HI, to visit with the
family of his surviving wife of 15 years, Barbara. As a community
leader his involvement spanned many community groups and
organizations. His community service included: St. Joseph Valley
Council, Boy Scouts of America [BSA], Tri-Valley Council of the
BSA, Northern Indiana Council of the BSA, and the current LaSalle
Council of BSA. He also served as Council Commissioner, Council
Treasurer, National Council Representative, Executive Board
member,
He was born and raised in South Bend. His
parents, Horace W. and Evelyn W. Fox, preceded him in death. He
attended South Bend Public Schools, Madison Elementary and South
Bend Central High School, graduating in 1939, where he served as
president of the junior and senior class. He attended Indiana
University at Bloomington, IN, where he graduated in December
1942 with a BS degree from the IU School of Business. He was a
member of the Indiana Beta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity
and was a past president of the local chapter in Michiana. He was
a member of the Indiana University Alumni Association, life
emeritus; St. Joseph County IU Alumni Association [past President
and Board member] and IU Varsity Club member. He was a member of
the First Presbyterian Church of South Bend. There he served as a
Deacon, Elder, Trustee [2 terms]. President of the Board of
Trustees, usher and fundraiser of the present church building on
West Colfax Avenue.
Mr. Fox was a principal owner, president and
board member of the W.H. Bruner Insurance Agency, Inc. He joined
the agency as an insurance solicitor in August 1946. In 1974 he
merged with the Cassady, Neeser Agency, Inc. to form the Bruner,
Cassady, Neeser Agency Inc. where he served as president until he
retired on December 31, 1981. On April 10, 1943, at Camp Lee, VA,
he married Jane Obenchain, who pre-deceased William on
July 21, 1982. There are three surviving children, William
[Linda] Fox, Jr., Mary. Jane [Greg] Lawson and Roland
Williams [Carol] Fox, all of South Bend, IN. There are five
grandchildren, (Becky, Christopher, lan, Jennifer and Jonathan)
and one great-grandchild (Donny), all living in South Bend. His
brother, John Williams Fox of Meadowood, Bloomington, IN,
survives. On December 4, 1992, in South Bend, he married Barbara
J.D. Fox, who survives. He served with the U.S. Army in the
Quartermaster Corps as a 1st Lieutenant during WW II. His tour of
active duty was from June 1942 until his discharge in September
1946. Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May
31, in First Presbyterian Church, 333 W. Colfax Ave., South Bend,
with Rev. David Morrow officiating. A Masonic memorial service
will immediately follow.
The family will receive friends in the
church from noon until the time of services at 1:30 p.m.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the LaSalle Council,
Boy Scouts of America, 1340 South Bend Ave., South Bend, IN
46617; or to the 32nd Degree Masonic Learning Center for
Children, 427 North Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601. Welsheimer
Family Funeral Home North is handling arrangements.