Obituary: Local resident Charles Fox dies at age 102

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After a life remarkable in length and love, Charles Fox died at the age of 102 on June 24, 2024, at the home of his longtime partner, Peggy Cowherd, in Temecula, Calif.

Charlie was born on May 20, 1922, in the Bronx, N.Y., to Jeannetta and Joseph Fox. He was the oldest sibling to Al, Sam and Rita and would always give Rita, the youngest, 25 cents to go to the movie theater. His father was a plumber and, not wanting to go into that trade, Charlie decided to work as a lithographer. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II in the South Pacific and in Washington, D.C., where he used his plumbing and printing skills, respectively.

In 1947, he married Claire, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, N.Y. They moved to North Bellmore, Long Island, where they raised two sons, Joe and Stuart, along with fish, a dog named Jiggsy and a series of canaries all named Sunny. Charlie loved and worked hard at his job at LaSalle Industries, always trying to improve the business. He retired at age 60 and was roasted by his colleagues with poems and jibes that captured their admiration for Charlie.

Charlie played golf and bridge well into retirement, eventually becoming a respected bridge Ruby Life Master. Charlie and Claire moved to Margate, Fla., and then to Sun City, Calif., where they were active in the community pool and bridge clubs. It was in California that Charlie took up lawn bowling, which he continued playing well into his golden years — not doing too bad for a 90-year-old. He did crossword puzzles until, as he put it, “they started making them too hard” — but he persisted in watching “Jeopardy!” He never finished a family meal without smacking his lips and declaring, “Good shtuff!”

After Claire passed away in 2003, Charlie had to learn how to fend for himself. Luckily, he found companionship with fellow bridge player Peggy Cowherd, starting a second chapter of his life. He and Peggy enjoyed traveling and spending time with their blended families. The Owenses of Temecula, Calif., treated Charlie like one of their own. At his 100th birthday party, Charlie looked back on his life with amazement, doling out sage and silly advice.

Charlie is survived by his partner, Peggy; son Joe and his wife, Kathi, of Romoland, Calif.; and son Stuart and his wife, Joan, of Clifton Park, N.Y. He was also loved by his three grandchildren: Michele and her partner, Chuck, of Fayetteville, Ark.; Adam and his wife, Shannon, of Athens, Ga.; and Carolyn and her husband, Dave, of Essex Junction, Vt.

Charlie will be interred at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

We will miss him dearly but are thankful his long life was filled with “good shtuff.”