Frederick A. "Fred" Fox

Fred Fox was born at home in Toledo, Ohio on December 16, 1924. He was the third child of Virl Otel and Bertha (Schindler) Fox. Fred grew up with two sisters (Virginia Frank and Mary Fay Ullery) and two brothers (Charles and Richard). He attended Saint Theresa’s Catholic School. He was a child of the Great Depression, so from the very beginning work was the order of the day. From 6-9 he collected junk selling it for pennies to the neighborhood junk dealer. From 9-10 he was going door to door selling fruits and vegetables and also rode through Toledo with the kindly junk dealer in his horse drawn cart. Later Fred teamed up with his sister, Virginia, selling high end magazines to people that actually had money, this proved to be a fairly lucrative business. In his early teens Fred teamed up with friend Morris Bordeaux and Brothers Charles and Richard to form a fruit and vegetable huckstering enterprise, driving the streets of Toledo selling fruits and vegetables door to door. This continued until his later teens when he went to work full time for Ohio Roofing and Siding, which is owned and operated by the Fox family to this day.

In 1943 he graduated from Scott High School, he did well in mathematics, and took advantage of a special war time course in celestial navigation. Upon graduation he entered the Army and successfully completed Officer Training School (OTS) as a navigator/bombardier in the Army Air Force. However, by 1944 the war had turned in our favor and the need for flight personal had decreased, so commissioning was postponed. As it worked out, Fred became a machine gun instructor and a mechanic for a range of multiengine aircraft, attending Lockheed Mechanic School in Burbank California to become a certified mechanic for the Lockheed Super Constellation, the premier 4 engine passenger plane of the day. While in Burbank he met many Hollywood personalities at the famous Hollywood Canteen, “They are just people”. In 1946, Fred declined the postponed commission and was discharged from the AAF. He returned to Toledo Ohio, rejoining the family roofing and siding business. Fred and his friends joined fraternal groups like The Catholic War Veterans, and Knights of Columbus, and celebrated the successful conclusion of WWII, every day of their lives; they were a fun-loving group, an extended family, including the Kitz, Corbo, Nunemaker, Vincent, Bollin, Lincoln, and Sayers families.

Upon returning to Toledo, Ohio in 1946, Fred met the love of his life, Margaret Walsh, and they were later married at Our Lady of Perpetual Help on June 7, 1947. Sadly, Fred’s wife Margaret died in April of 1997. Their nearly 50 years of marriage produced five children: Greg (Chris), Gretchen (Bob) Bechtel, Jim (Lorrie), Lisa Thompson (Randy), and John (Lynette). In 1960 they moved from St Theresa’s parish in Toledo to St Joseph’s in Maumee, Ohio. They were a fun couple, and all their children and nieces and nephews were loved and appreciated.

While Fred worked hard in the family business, he played just as hard, making up for a childhood of work. In a lot of ways his children and to some extent Margaret were like playmates. He was an avid player of pick-up baseball and touch football games, with his family he became an avid water skier and snow skier. As he grew older his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, became new playmates. Fred had remarkable energy. He would take 4-5 grandchildren on legendary trips north to the beloved cabin on the Au Sable River in Michigan. With driving lessons on dirt roads, canoe trips and stone skipping on the Au Sable River, euchre and blackjack tournaments with Grandpa the dealer. His great-grandchildren learned to count playing blackjack. He was a very good bowler and eventually came to be the oldest league bowler in the Toledo area. In retirement he took up golf at the age of 70 and became a regular league golfer into his early 90s and deep-sea fishing into his 80s with friends and Brother Richard.

Fred enjoyed people and with his brothers and sister, he was a manager, and salesman for Ohio Roofing, he liked knocking on those doors and introducing himself and talking to homeowners about their needs. In the end he was always the child huckster going door to door. Fred retired from Ohio roofing in 1997, with family trained successors of sons, daughter and nephews. In truth he never completely retired and was still walking on pitched roofs often with younger brother Richard into his 80s.

Fred was preceded in death by his wife Margaret, brother-in-law Jack Walsh, sisters, Virginia and Mary Fay, brothers Charles and Richard and grandson in-law, Sean Satterthwaite. Fred is survived by his 5 children, 20 grandchildren, Gary Joseph, Jay Fox (Sofia), Kelly Fox, Brian Fox, Kayla Fox (Sierra), Brooklyn Fox, Devin Fox, Jon (Erin) Bechtel, Melissa Powell (David), Tom Bechtel (Leigh Ann), Suzanne Maynard (Rob), Heather Satterthwaite, Paul Thompson (Stacy), Mark Fox, Jennifer Schumann (Brian), Steve Fox, Phil Fox (Anna), Jackie Colgrove (Jason), Alex Fox, Katherine Fox, 26 great-grandchildren and his loved nieces, nephews and extended family friends.

The pillars of his essence were love of God and family, discipline, humility, and gratitude. Fred was looking forward to the next step, crossing to the other side, where he could see Margaret and all his friends and family that had gone before, and mostly to see God and our Savior Jesus.

Special thanks to Hospice of Northwest and Dr. James Ewry for the exceptional care Fred received in his last days.

Family and friends will be received at the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, 501 Conant St. Maumee on Thursday, September 15, 2022, from 3:00-8:00 PM. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 16, 2022, at 10:00 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 104 W. Broadway St. Maumee, OH. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph St. Vincent de Paul Society. Online condolences may be shared at walkerfuneralhomes.com.