John Paul Fox
Houston-John Paul Fox departed this life on December 19, 2017, at
his home in Houston, Mississippi. John
was born December 31, 1933, in Wetumpka, Alabama, to John Frank Fox and Orpha
Blackerby Fox.
John attended school in Columbiana, Alabama, and graduated from
Shelby County High School. While in high
school, he was involved in all sports and earned the rank of Eagle as a Boy Scout. After school and during summers, John worked
at a local drug store and did odd jobs for attorney “Handy” Ellis. John’s association with Mr. Ellis inspired
him to ultimately seek a profession in law.
Upon graduating from high school, John received a football
scholarship to the University of Alabama. While John’s football career was short lived, he graduated from the
University of Alabama in 1956 with a business degree, appropriate for his
entrepreneurial spirit. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha.
After college, John entered the U.S. Army and completed
officer candidate and ranger school. Later he worked as an adjuster for USF&G in Birmingham and then
enrolled in law school at the University of Mississippi. Shortly before moving to Mississippi, he met
his wife Marion Miller. They married in
1959, while John was still in law school.
Upon graduation from law school in 1961, John and Marion moved
to Houston where he embraced being a small town lawyer, enjoying the people
aspect as well at the technical intrigue of law. As a young attorney, he carried
an umbrella and wore a hat to appear as a seasoned counsel.
While in law school and as a young attorney, John was a
member of the National Guard in the Pontotoc division. He spent six weeks defending James Meredith
on the Ole Miss campus and enjoyed telling his children of the foxhole he dug
in the law school dean’s yard.
John practiced law at the Fox Law Firm until the day prior
to his death. At various points in his career he also served as Houston’s city
attorney, the attorney for the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors, the
attorney for the Chickasaw Development Foundation, and legal counsel for the
State Jaycee President. He was the first chairman of the Chickasaw Republican
Party.
Those who knew John best will treasure their memories of his
ready smile, quick sense of humor, abundant kindness, extreme generosity, and
above all, his complete devotion to his family.
John is survived by his wife of 58 years Marion Miller Fox;
his children Elizabeth Fox Ausbern of Houston, Grant Moncrief Fox of Brandon,
and Blakely Fox Fender of Jackson; his son-in-law Terry Keith Ausbern, his
daughter-in-law Sara Martin Fox, and his son-in-law Ronald Joseph Fender. He was the loving grandfather of Allen Gray
Crosthwait, Wilkes Edward Crosthwait, John Martin Fox, Luke Rivers Fender, Marion
Elizabeth Ausbern, and William Fox Fender.
A service for the family will be held Wednesday, December 20,
2017. There will be a visitation on
Thursday, December 21, 2017, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the home of Elizabeth and
Terry Ausbern, 587 East Madison Street, Houston, Mississippi 38851. Southern Funeral Chapel of Houston is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the donor’s
favorite charity or the Boy Scouts of America at 206 Martin Drive, Houston, MS
38851.
