Noel Richard Fox

Noel Richard Fox was born on October 10, 1920.
He died on July 7, 2018.
He was truly a Renaissance Man.
He could do all that he willed to do.
In those 97 years, he lived a selfless life; a life devoted to his wife, Lenore, of 74 years, his 4 children - Rick, Barbara, John and Marianne, his grandchildren, his great grandchildren, his friends, his community and his Country.
He asked for nothing and he gave so very much.
The path of his life was astonishing - growing up on a dairy farm in Gibson City, Illinois, where he and his 2 brothers would wake up at 4:00 in the morning to blistering summers and ice cold winters to help their father milk the cows and then deliver dairy products to fellow neighbors who often could not afford to pay in a depression ravaged country; to a track star at Gibson City High School; to the University of Illinois from which he graduated with a fine arts degree in music and at which he was in the school marching band, playing 12 different musical instruments, singing in dance bands, and having the lead in every University of Illinois musical production for 4 years; to enlisting in the United States Navy in 1942, at the age of 22, where, having never before flown, he became a decorated fighter pilot serving his Country for 3 years, 3 months and 24 days in the European theater, risking his life while flying off aircraft carriers to quell the invasion of Germany into France and all the while watching the majority of his "Fighting Squadron 74" fellow airmen being killed in action, and yet fulfilling each and every mission to which he was assigned against all odds; to coming home as a member of the "Greatest Generation" to reclaim a life at peace forged out of his and his fellow servicemens courage and valor and, to his heart felt desire, being reunited with the love of his life - Lenore; to becoming Vice President of a nationally renowned cosmetic company where he worked for almost 3 decades and where he was responsible for creating a multitude of industry wide advancements and inventions that positioned the company as a market leader; to retirement and becoming a master wood craftsman and accomplished landscape painter; to being undefeated, for life, in croquet; to fixing anything in the house that needed fixing; to being an original Gumbadee and forcing the implementation of the "Dick Fox Rule" in order to attempt to prevent him from winning everyones money in the Chiefs game half time ritual of playing Craps; to passionately rooting for his beloved Chiefs and Royals; to always helping anyone who needed help; to being the best husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather; and to being a man of deep faith.
He was the sweetest, kindest, nicest, and most patient person you would ever know.
He gave his love unconditionally to all, never once asking for anything in return.
And he always..he always thought of others first and foremost.
He lived an exemplary life; a life that we should all aspire to live.
He was, and always will be, our Hero.