William "Bill" P. Fox, Sr.

William "Bill" P. Fox, Sr., age 92, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 4, 2024.

Born in Paterson, NJ as the third of eight children to Christopher and Anna Fox, Bill's journey began in Hawthorne, NJ, where he became the first in his family to attend and graduate college. His life was marked by significant milestones, deep love, and an unwavering dedication to his family and passions.

When Bill was 18, he met the love of his life, Pat, after friends persuaded him to take her on a date. Before he would go out on that date, he decided to see her for himself so he walked over to her house. After one glance of Pat mowing the lawn in red shorts and a white top he was smitten. Not long after that date he was called to serve in the army. Before leaving, he asked Pat to wait for him. She said she wouldn’t, but true to her heart, she did and they reunited as soon as Bill returned home.

In 1952, Bill proposed to Pat in his 1952 Kaiser-Frazer Henry J parked outside her home in East Paterson. They were married on May 26, 1956, at Saint Leo’s Church in East Paterson and honeymooned in Bermuda. Together, they were blessed with six beautiful children who became the center of their world. Bill worked tirelessly to support his growing family while also continuing his education, ultimately earning a master's degree in Finance from Seton Hall University. In the early 1970s Bill was given an opportunity to work at the legendary Fender-Rogers company in Fullerton California and so he and Pat packed up the kids and moved across country where the family would live for the next 5 years.

As Bill's career advanced, he was offered the opportunity to work at Fender’s parent company, CBS, in New York City and so in 1975 the family moved back to the east coast, settling in Wayne, New Jersey where he would live for the rest of his life. His work at CBS Records, and eventually Polygram Records, brought incredible opportunities for his family, including trips for he and Pat to the Grammy Awards and access to exclusive music and Broadway events for his family.

Bill retired at 58 but found he couldn’t stay idle. When Pat needed help at the DePaul High School kitchen, he was more than willing to lend a hand, eventually making it a regular part of his life. Their shared time in the kitchen brought them closer, combining love and teamwork.

Family was everything to Bill and Pat. They hosted large family picnics in the summer and large holiday gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas where Bill's humble nature, good sense of humor and straightforward honesty were always on full display.

Bill also had a great love for music, especially Barbershop. He had a great singing voice and was a decades long member of the Dapper Dans of Harmony Chorus and always loved to perform. For a number of years he also sang with Big Apple Barbershop Chorus at Christmas-time under the Christmas tree at South Street Sea Port. He especially loved singing with his grandchildren.

Bill also had a quirky Mr. Fix-it side which led to some very unconventional DIY solutions. like the screwdriver that hung from an AC vent in the ceiling in the Wayne house for over 40 years. Bill cherished the New York Mets, the Oakland Raiders, and a good VO and soda with a twist and his church. His culinary preferences included pea soup, deviled eggs, fried hamburgers, and, notably, veal parmesan—a dish he believed could judge a restaurant's quality.

Bill's legacy is one of love, dedication, and a life well-lived. He will be remembered for his stoicism, humility, and the deep love he had for his family. His unique fixes, love for music, and veal parmesan orders at restaurants will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

Bill is predeceased by his parents Christopher and Anna Fox; his siblings: Christopher, Ed, and Ann; his wife Patricia; and his son-in-law Michael and grandson Derek.

Bill is survived by his siblings: Peter and his wife Linda of Hawthorne, Rita of Ohio, Marie and her husband Fred of Michigan, and Claire of Florida; his children: Bill and Sandra of Pickens, South Carolina, Andrew and Candice of Fort Meyers, Florida, Tom and Lynn of Monmouth Junction, Nancy and Bob of Oakland, Mary of Kinnelon, and Tim and Elizabeth of Coplay, Pennsylvania; and his grandchildren: Matthew and his wife Elise of Massapequa, Long Island and their son Tyler, Michelle of Jersey City, Dana of Garfield, Drew of Kinnelon, Michael of Kinnelon, John and his fiancé Rikki of North Brunswick, Danny of Oakland, and Christoffer of Rohrerstown, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Barbershop Harmony Association, https://www.harmonyfoundation.org/memorial-giving, would be appreciated.