Stephentown – Michael J. Fox, 56, of 1110 Route 43, Stephentown, NY, died on Monday, April 13, 2009, at Albany Medical Center Hospital in Albany, NY, following an automobile accident Wednesday, April 8, on Route 43.
Born in Troy, NY, on March 6, 1953, Mike was the son of the late Ann (Colarusso) and John F. Fox, Sr. of Snyder’s Lake, NY. He is survived by his wife, Joleen (Chase) Fox formerly of Vermont, his children, Christopher Hare of New Smyrna Beach, FL, Jessica Stollings of Troy, Carrie Beth McDaniel of New Smyrna Beach, Shawn and wife Dawn Chase of Ogdensburg, NY, and Eric and wife Crystal Chase of Montpelier, VT, and his in-laws, Leona and William Phillips of Northfield, VT. He is survived by his grandchildren, Alexis Williams of DeLand, FL, Christopher II and Joshua Stollings of Troy, Austin McDaniel, Brodie Fox and Emily King of New Smyrna Beach, Julia Chase of Montpelier and Jordan Chase of Ogdensburg. Also surviving are his siblings, Anne Marie Halpin (widow of the late James Halpin) of Watervliet, NY, John Jr. and wife Gail F. Fox of Montrose, CO, and Karen and husband Charles Geissler of Wynantskill. He is survived also by his former wife, Virginia (Hare) King of New Smyrna Beach and by his aunts Kathleen and husband Roland Gendron and Margaret Fox, several nieces and nephews and many first cousins and their families.
The family gives special thanks to his daughter Jessica and his niece Karia (Geissler) Jones for all the loving care they gave to Mike.
He was a 1972 graduate of Averill Park High School and joined the U. S. Navy shortly after graduation. He served aboard the USS Puget Sound as an Internal Command Electrician and then was with the Navy Reserve. Upon discharge he worked for the Volusia County Corrections Department as a Lieutenant in charge of the jail and received many citations and awards. He was a member of the Turnbull Volunteer Fire Department. Mike was a member of the Florida Army National Guard since 1993 and assisted with many clean-ups after hurricanes including the destruction at Homestead, FL. He transferred to the Rainbow Division National Guard upon arriving back in New York and had retired from that division.
After moving back to the Troy area, he worked for R.O.U.S.E. at the Bloomingrove Senior Apartments where he was loved by the residents. He was a member of the Defreestville Volunteer Fire Department since 1996 and became a social member when he moved to Stephentown. He recently started a job he really liked as a security officer for Wackenhut at the RPI Tech Park in North Greenbush.
Funeral arrangements are through the Thomas S. Connolly Funeral Home, 294 Whiteview Road, Wynantskill, NY. There was a funeral service at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 175 Williams Road, Troy, at 11 on Thursday, April 16, with visitation time from 9 to 11 am at the Church before the funeral. Burial will be at the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, Schuylerville, NY.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Michael J. Fox Memorial Fund set up at any Pioneer Bank branch.