The funeral service for Charles Fox, 96, of Tracy, will be at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 10, 2018, at St. James Episcopal Church on the Parkway in Minneapolis. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment with military honors will take place at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Charles Eugene Fox was born on December 16, 1921, in Minneapolis, to Fayette and Adeline (Turgeon) Fox. He grew up in Northeast Minneapolis and graduated from Edison High School. Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Charles enlisted into the U.S. Navy. After completing flight school, he was appointed a Naval Aviator at NAS-Pensacola, Fl. He flew off the Petrof Bay aircraft carrier flying F4-F Wildcats providing air support for the U.S. Forces from Peleliu to the Philippines in the South Pacific including 30 combat sorties over Iwo Jima. While on a 30 day leave, he married Joyce Quist on April 17, 1945 at the Ft. Snelling Chapel in Minneapolis. After his honorable discharge, the couple settled in Richfield and Charlie began a career working as a District Manager for Chesebrough-Ponds Health and Beauty Products. Charlie remained active in the Naval Air Reserve in Minneapolis flying Phantom F9 jets, then as an administrator before retiring on June 30, 1975. The couple were active members of St. James Episcopal Church on the Parkway and with Opportunity Workshop. In 2002, they moved to Tracy to be closer to the family. Like many of his generation, Charlie was reluctant to share much about his war experiences until much later in life. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion Post 435 in Richfield. He also enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting, traveling, spending time with family and following his grandchildrenâs activities. Charlie was a great husband, dad, granddad, and friend who was always ready to assist anyone who asked for his help.
Charles died on Sunday, September 30, 2018, at the Prairie View Healthcare Center in Tracy. He is survived by his sons James (and Lauri) Fox of Tracy and Charles W. Fox of Richfield; granddaughter Kathleen (and Daniel) Joyce of Everett, WA, great-grandsons Allan and David Joyce, granddaughter Elisabeth (and Andrew) Johnson of Mankato, great-grandson Graham Fox Johnson and grandson Sean Fox of Tracy. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife of 67 years, Joyce.
Memorials may be made to the St. James Episcopal Church, or a favorite charity.