Bernard “Bernie” Joseph Fox passed away on Thursday, September 12, 2024, surrounded by his family at his home in Viroqua, WI.

Bernie was born to John William Fox and Anna Bridget (Trainor) Fox on September 26, 1931, at home, in the Town of Seven Mile Creek near Lyndon Station, WI.

He was the fifth of John and Anna’s seven children. He entered 1st grade at the age of 4 and graduated from Mauston High School in 1948 at the age of 16. While he was in high school, he was president of the FFA chapter and competed on the boxing team. After graduation, he worked with his brother Artie to help run the family farm. At the age of 18, he joined the Army National Guard and served in active duty from February 1955 to February 1957 as a Specialist 2nd Class in the Panama Canal Zone. After the Army, he went to work at the US Postal Service. During this time Bernard married Donna G. Stickler on December 26, 1959. In his 29 years with USPS he worked many positions; starting on the trains that ran between Chicago and St. Paul, hypo driver with a route between Madison to Spooner until he and Donna, moved their family to the Sarona area in February 1964, the route reversed. He then became the Postmaster of the Sarona Post Office until 1972, when he became a rural carrier out of the Shell Lake Post Office until his retirement in September 1986 at the age of 55.

Bernard was a family man first and foremost. He and Donna worked side by side in everything they did for their family and each other. After moving to the Spooner area, the family became members of the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and all seven of his children attended the school at the church. He was very active in the church- from coaching the St. Francis youth and men’s softball team to member of the school and parish councils and member of the Knights of Columbus, where he served as District Deputy and was very active with the 4th Degree. Besides the church he also served as a member of the Beaver Brook Town Board and Washburn County’s Board of Directors. While with the county, his three favorite roles were being a member of the Unit on Aging, serving as interim County Highway Commissioner, and helping with the construction of the Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Ceremony. He also helped create the Tri-County recycling program. He spent many years volunteering to drive veterans and those in need to doctor appointments. He enjoyed traveling; Ireland was his favorite place, and had his last beer there with his granddaughter, Erica, at the Guiness Brewery. In 2012 he moved to his hometown of Mauston to be closer to family and had been wintering with his daughter, Pamela, in Texas since 2004.

Bernie is survived by his children, Dan (Kim) Fox of Cameron, Tom (Patti) Fox of Shell Lake, Louise (Kent) Hebel of Westby, Pam (Dave) Doty of the Woodlands, TX, and Janet Fox (Travis Schnick) of River Falls; 14 grandchildren, Becca, Alex and Rachel Linn, Jacob (Jessica), Geoffrey and Kiersten Fox, Bryant (Ashley) and Evan (Stephanie) Fox, Roman, Grace and Alex Hebel, Erica (Blaine) Hine, Aaron Gundry and Megan Doty; four great-grandchildren, Theodore, Mabel, Frederick and Emily; his son-in-law, Bill Linn of Sheboygan, and his sisters, Bonita Hrdlicka of Janesville and Mary Agnes Matson of California. Along with his wife, Donna, and his parents he was preceded in death by his oldest child, Susan Fox Linn and his youngest child, Patrick; his brothers and sister, James, Arthur, Leroy and Arlene DeBaets.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 20, at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Spooner with Rev. Fr. Phil Juza as celebrant. Burial with military honors will be accorded at the Calvary Cemetery. Family and friends may visit with the family on Friday at the church, 409 Summit Street, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11:00 a.m.

Last Update: Sep 17, 2024 1:31 pm CDT