George Fox, 78, of Princeton, died on December 12, 2017 as a result of melanoma. Throughout his year-long endeavor to beat the odds, he continued to lead his life with characteristic courage, dignity and resolve. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he graduated from Towson High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point, and he earned an MBA from the Wharton School.
In 1961 he married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Figge Fox, and served as an artillery officer in Nuremberg, Germany. They lived in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before moving to Princeton in 1981. George worked for IBM, and by the end of his 30-year career he had consulted to telecommunications firms in Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Rio de Janeiro, Canada, and New Zealand. In retirement he continued his favorite pursuit — computer programming — as a charter member of CyLogix (later Keane). He provided application services for Morgan Stanley. Upon his second retirement, he volunteered to support Republican candidates in state and local races and represented the Princeton Municipal Republican Committee at the county level.
George was active in faith communities wherever he lived. In the ’60s he helped to establish a mission church, Redeemer Moravian, in southwest Philadelphia. At Princeton United Methodist Church he helped launch the Stephen Ministry, a program that offers one-to-one Christian care to those going through tough times. Ever the optimist, he was a lifelong Eagles fan. He read widely and devoted himself wholeheartedly to a succession of learning opportunities. George loved “messing about with boats;” and in his 30s spent weekends and summers at the family home near Annapolis, cruising the Chesapeake in a 24-foot sailboat. Always a jogger, he turned to mountain climbing in his 40s and, with his brother, he summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 1989.
Slowed down by a heart attack and triple bypass surgery — and, later, Stage III cancer — he took up golf, joined the CyLogix golf league and delighted in winning the company tournament. Among his core values were intelligence, integrity, and the value of investing in superior equipment to get a job done right. Sought out for his advice, George navigated difficult situations with ease and clarity. He could light up a room with his smile and his warmth. Devoted to family, he took immense, but quiet, pride in the accomplishments of his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
He is predeceased by his parents, George DeGruchy Fox and Cina Eleanor Willis Fox, and his stepmother, Elizabeth Waring Fox. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Figge Fox; two brothers (William Willis Fox MD of Narberth, PA and David DeGruchy Fox of Old Greenwich, CT); and three children — Elizabeth Fox Dodge (Jed) of Rochester, NY; George Fox Jr. (Karolyn) of Northville, MI, and Susannah Fox (Eric Halperin) of Washington, DC, plus eight grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be Saturday, December 30, at 3 p.m. at Princeton United Methodist Church (www.PrincetonUMC.org ). Contributions in his memory may be made to the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund (to help those in emergency need) at Princeton United Methodist Church, 7 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton NJ 08542.
