Joseph M. Fox

Joseph M. Fox, 84, of Waymart, passed away at home after an extended illness on April 13, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Anna (Kowalczyk) Fox. They would have celebrated their 61st anniversary on May 26, 2023. Joe was widely known in the area as a wide smiled and good-natured communitarian who laughed easily and long, always ready with a joke and to offer a hand for those in need. He was a masonry contractor and skilled craftsman who was self-employed for most of his adult life, working until age 80. He built many fireplaces, foundations, and walls, many of which dot the landscape of Wayne County and will continue to stand for years to come, a testament of his skill and ability to put order to stone, mud and gravel. He took great pride in his work. An avid hunter, he traveled to the Dakotas, Maine, and Montana many winters with his two closest friends, Leo Dolph and Chet Highhouse, who preceded him in death. Following in the footsteps of his late father, he was devoted to their church, St. Mary’s in Waymart. He will be remembered for the stone grotto housing the Blessed Virgin Mary, which he designed and constructed in 1974. He and Anna thoroughly enjoyed seeing the world and through the years, traveled to many places from the Badlands to Bali. He restored a 1931 Model A Ford truck, a gift from his late father, and many will remember seeing him driving his beloved truck in the Waymart parades. He is survived by his children: Patricia Fox and husband, Dennis Phelps; Michael Fox; Peter Fox and partner, Melissa Shemanski; Maria Fox Thorpe and husband, Richard Thorpe; and James Fox and wife, Annette. Grandchildren Wayne Heller and wife Anna Groth-Shive; Sierra Simko and husband Stephen; Lyn J. Thorpe and companion Rachel; Abigail and Raegan Fox; Lily Fox; Cullen, Angelo, and Sebastian Fox. Great grandchildren Emery and Ellis Simko. He is survived by brothers and sisters: Louis P. Fox, Jr. and his wife Peggy, Ann Janezic Busar and her husband Earl, Thomas Fox and his wife Joyce, Samuel Fox and his wife Gail, John Fox, and Margaret Fox-Dougherty and her husband Paul; many nieces and nephews, and numerous friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis P. Fox Sr. and Margaret H. (Graytock) Fox and his youngest brother, Andrew T. Fox. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on April 17, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 242 Carbondale Road, Waymart, PA 18472. Interment will be held later at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joe's memory to St. Mary’s Church, P.O. Box 160, Waymart, PA 18472. The family will receive friends at a Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 2-5 PM at The Gravity Restaurant in Waymart, Pa. Arrangements are entrusted to Howell Family Funeral Home, Inc. Edward R. Howell, Funeral Director, 269 Belmont Street, Waymart, PA 18472.