Donald R. Fox

DONALD R FOX was born on May 20, 1930, and passed away on September 25, 2018.

Don was born on May 20, 1930, in Coquille, Oregon. He grew up and around Coos Bay, Oregon where he attended Marshfield High School.

Don served his country in the US Navy from 1949 to 1950 stationed out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii He was assigned duty on a Destroyer Escort (DE700) and later out of Japan on Destroyer (DD727) firing from sea to shore during the Korean Conflict. He achieved the rank of Radioman 3^rd Class.

Don married his High School sweetheart MaryJane Farr on June 13, 1953. Mary had attended College in Ashland, Oregon while Don was in the service. Later that same year Don left Coos Bay to attend UC Davis where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Irrigation Science. Don and his wife continued to live in Marysville/Yuba City until 1975 then he moved to the Redding Area (Shasta Lake).

The Fox’s created a little history by having four children Sharon (1954), Marcia (1958), Ron (1960), and Leslie (1963). Grandchildren were plenty Steve and Marissa Struble, Jordan and Graeson Fox and Cheyna Cochran. Don lost his wife of 50 years in 2003.

Don’s work history

1.  Univ. of Calif. as a farm advisor working in water resource development, rice, and field crops. 8 years
2. Worked for U. S. Steel.  Traveled 17 western states developing and selling a special irrigation structure. 3 years
3. Trained Peace Corps volunteers in agriculture and water well drilling.  Went to India (3 months) to determine their interest in having volunteers for drilling wells. 2 years
4. Helped establish business providing computerized management accounting for farmers.  2 years
5. Managed a family agricultural operation (not my family).  2500 acres of farmland, 6,000 head beef feedlot, and a 150 head/day packing plant.  2 years
6. Helped manage a farm management company managing farms (mostly orchards) for absentee owners.  2 years
7. Worked for CH2M Hill developing wastewater and sludge management plans (applying wastewater and sludge to farmland as the final treatment process).  Worked in 19 or 20 states, Saudi Arabia, Cypress, Egypt.  21 years

Don retired from CH2M HILL in 1996.

Fondest memory is Courting, and marrying MaryJane and the subsequent family life.

Claim to fame or greatest achievement or award?  I guess it would be the achievement of acclaim from the people in CH2M HILL for my work with farmers on the many projects.  I was the only one in the firm at that time with the basic experience in production agriculture, which was important to many of the engineering projects.  Example:  We developed a plan for establishing a 100,000-acre farming operation in the western desert of Egypt.

Hobbies, Golf are now my only hobby, and I’m very satisfied with just beating Rick Faller

What would be the number one thing you want people to say about you or to remember you by   Put on my tombstone:  He had a great sense of humor! 

Don with his good friend Don Morris

Favorite past time - Golf and reading

Favorite Movie,   Sound of Music   (But Dirty Harry was pretty good)

Favorite Song?   God Bless America by Kate Smith.

Favorite Restaurant?  Ruth’s Criss, (but I could only afford it once)

Don’s best memory: Well, I think of the vacation MaryJane and I had with her brother and his wife, in Australia and New Zealand.  We traveled up the coast from Sydney to Brisbane on the train, attended the World’s Fair, played at the coast.  We rented a car in Auckland and toured both islands of New Zealand. We all had a wonderful time.  Also, our many golf trips throughout the U.S. and into Canada constitute great memories to me.

His Funeral Service will be on Oct 5, 11am at the LDS Church in Shasta Lake.  The address is 4240 Williamette St, Shasta Lake, CA 96019