Obituary of William Irby Fox, III

William Irby Fox, III was born on August 6, 1935, in Wilcox, Arizona, to Albert Irby Fox and Ruth Corrine Kelly. He was known as Irby, Little Irby, WIF, Bill, or Fox by loved ones and friends.

As a young child, his family moved to Texas, where he grew up and attended school in O’Brien. He later continued his education at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

From an early age, Bill developed a fascination with airplanes, often watching them pass overhead while he plowed the fields of the family farm. This passion led him to join the United States Air Force, where he proudly served as a Captain both stateside and abroad, including active duty in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of ‘68. He won several awards for his heroism. After his military service, William continued his aviation career, flying commercially for Overseas National Airways and other commercial cargo airlines. He spent the remainder of his life in Fort Worth, Texas serving his community through the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department. He began his career in confinement, and he was promoted to Deputy where he worked in the Warrant Division and finished his career as a Bailiff where he worked in the old Tarrant County Courthouse before retiring.

Outside of his professional life, Bill was a man of simple joys. He loved starting his mornings with a good cup of coffee and a crossword puzzle. He found pleasure in animals, classic western shows, good food, and music. After years of travel and adventure, his happiest moments were the ones spent at home surrounded by his family. Above all, Bill was a loving husband and the world’s best Dad to his three daughters. He was a man of faith who knew Christ as his personal Savior, and his family takes comfort in the promise of reuniting with him one day.

He is preceded in death by his parents and one great-grandson, Bennett Robert Schultz.

He is survived by his devoted wife and globe-trotting partner of 67 years, Sharon Hunt Fox; his daughters, Lori Fox Rosenstein (Fredie Chambers), Leslie Fox Hamlin (Mike Hamlin), and Christal "Christye" Fox Warren (Andy Warren); grandchildren Katie Powell, William (Hunter) Powell, Emily Powell Smith, Randy Rosenstein, Rebekah Rosenstein; Bryan Hamlin, and Whitney Hamlin; Erin Warren Schultz, Ian Warren, Nathan Warren; and great-grandchildren Arianna Treviño, Kailey Treviño, Tobías Butcher, Ember Smith, Samuel Schultz, and Juliet Schultz.

William’s legacy lives on through the love he shared, the adventures he embraced, and the family he cherished.