Deceased January 5, 2022

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In Memory

John Fox '73
The Class of 1973 mourns the death of John Martin Fox, who passed away in January 2022.

When Jack arrived on campus in 1969, he knew just what he wanted to do to take advantage of Amherst’s rich academic and cultural environment. His strong interests in the physical world as well as business (he was subscribing to Forbes magazine back then) led him to major in physics and economics, both serious disciplines with excellent departments at Amherst. 

Jack immediately auditioned for the freshmen Glee Club and encouraged his roommate and others to join. The Glee Club became a focus and grounding for his Amherst years, with the highlight being the 1972 summer tour to Africa and the Near East. Jack was a solid performer in the first tenor section. His tastes in music ranged from James Brown to Gregorian chants. He found joy in all types of music. Later in life, he was active in his church choir and continued to enjoy music of many varieties.

Jack was an excellent and serious student. For his honors thesis in physics, he built and studied a one-meter sized Foucault pendulum, a device that could sense the Earth’s rotation, even from inside a room with no windows. While he spent much of his time studying, he made time for a balanced social life, with his primary enthusiasm being his girlfriend and future wife Janet Thistle Fox (Mount Holyoke ’74). After graduating, Jack attended the MIT Sloan School of Business and earned an M.S. degree in 1975. His career in Houston was in information technology for several large firms including Pennzoil, Duke Energy, Panhandle Eastern and AIM Investments.

John Fox '73 and Choir
Jack was known for his quiet virtues of humility, competence, perseverance, service, loyalty and generosity. From his obituary in the Houston Chronicle: “Family and faith were central to Jack's life…Jack’s faith deepened through his years as an active participant in the life of St. Philip Presbyterian Church. Connections made while serving as deacon, elder, Sunday school teacher and choir member enriched Jack’s life.” Everyone that he encountered would quickly recognize Jack’s genuine and warm smile, his lack of pretentions, his sincere caring and conscientious attitude. 

But Jack was not all seriousness. To his Phi Delt brothers, Jack was recognized for his energy and enthusiasm. His nickname was “Spaceman.” He would say, “Well, that’s just from outer space, man …” as in describing a far-fetched or novel concept. When Jack was wowed by something, he left no doubt. 

Jack was loyal to Amherst throughout his life. He was proud of his son, Jeffery, and daughter, Julia Fox ’07. He was a class agent for more than 20 years and lifelong supporter of Amherst. He even lived on Amherst Street in Houston and had AMHERST vanity plates on his car. Jack will be missed by all who knew him.

Richard Sailor ’73