Frank Lupton Fox

Frank Lupton Fox died peacefully at St. Martin in the Pines Cottages on April 26, 2022. He was born in Birmingham, AL on June 7, 1945 to Virginia Lupton Fox and Thomas Hanlon Fox, both of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Elizabeth Frye Fox. He is also survived by brothers Thomas H. Fox, Jr. and wife Margaret Frye Fox of Birmingham, and Robert Martin Fox and wife Rosemary Evans Fox of Gainesville, FL and by brother-in-law Charles Edward Frye and his wife Barbara Moore of Indian Pass, FL. Also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Frank graduated from John Carroll High School in 1963, and from the University of Notre Dame in 1967 with a degree in history. He was a monogram winner on the Notre Dame fencing team. After graduation, Frank entered the U. S. Navy, was commissioned at the Naval OCS , and served as a Supply Corp officer on the guided missile frigate USS Biddle (DLG-34) during the Vietnam War. He subsequently taught at the U. S. Naval Supply Corp School, then located in Athens, GA.

After completing his naval service, Frank pursued his lifelong interest in naval history, particularly concentrating on European naval history in the seventeenth century. He did original research in many museums and archives, especially in England, and published a number of books and influential papers. In 2017 Frank was elected a Fellow of the Society of Nautical Research, the world’s premier maritime history society. He provided expert testimony in British court cases on the origins of historical nautical items, and was a highly regarded researcher and author in his field.

Frank was a member of the Country Club of Birmingham, where he was an avid golfer for most of his life, and was a participant in several dogfight groups at the club over the years.

There will be a celebration of Frank’s life at a gathering to be announced later.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.johnsridouts.com for the FOX family.