Bernard W. Fox

Written by daughter Kaylene Midkiff.

My dad was a very gentle, loving and caring man. Every time you saw him he always had a joke to tell you. He was always there for me and I might say I think I was the "apple of his eye" He would tell me some stories about when he was in the service and when he was in China. He was proud to have served in the Marine Corp. and I am proud of him for it.

We lived in Iowa and he worked at John Deere Tractor Company. After that he went to work for Rath Meat Packing. He invented a new package with a window, (similar to the back of the packages you see today) and also a machine to fold and seal the package.

We moved to Phoenix in 1956. He worked at Air Research in precision hand finish. He worked on a part for the engine which had to be absolutely perfect. He received many awards for his excellent work and production. His attendance was perfect in the 30+ years he worked there. Then he retired.

He loved fishing with mom and friends when they would go to Minnesota. They always had great times to together. Dad and mom also enjoyed Saturday night dancing at the Silver Slipper. That was the hot spot in Iowa. Along with fishing and dancing he was quite the bowler. He had lots of 300 games and won a few championships that brought him trophies. Oh, and did I mention horseshoes and pool? Playing cards was one of his many "sports" also. He and his family, mom, dad, brother, sister or anyone else that loved the game of cards would get together for an evening. He enjoyed playing cribbage with his Air Reserve friends during breaks and lunch hour. Poker was his game because he was very good at it as a few of the guys at Desert Winds know. While in the Marines on Saturday nights he would play with friends and did his share of winning.

My dad-the kind, gentle and honest man, with a great sense of humor. He never met a stranger so our great loss will be felt by many.

I love you dad, your daughter Kaylene Midkiff.

Grandpa,

I’ll always remember your crazy magic tricks and your knack for inventing things from making the dog’s toy disappear to your infamous gold clubs. You always made us laugh and I never saw you in a bad mood. Everyone you befriended over the years remembers you fondly and has at least one story to tell of you. This was certainly not limited to making a complete fool of yourself or anyone else for a good laugh. You left a lasting impression on everyone.

As a child I could not have asked for better grandparents. We traveled to Payson and Iowa. We went fishing but rarely caught anything. We went golfing, and you spent more time looking for golf balls rather than swinging the club. But we laughed our asses off the whole time. More than anything else this is how I will remember you. You were humble, generous, loving, stubborn, and funny as hell. You had a great smile and a genuine laugh that we will all surely miss.

As you leave us, I can tell you that you have made me a better man, husband, and father. My promise to you is that I will always remember the qualities you helped nurture in all of us, and will do my best to make you proud. Good bye old friend, I’m going to miss you!

Love,

Bryon

p.s. I left you a few Budweiser’s in the tool shed.

Grandpa,

Words cannot explain the joy that you brought to my life and others. From the time I can remember, you always had that big grin and could put a smile on anyone’s face. I will cherish all the holidays, birthdays, the trips to Payson, the times we went fishing at Horse Shoe lake and how you would drive like a mad man, fifty plus MPH on those treacherous washboard roads. Well maybe not so much that part and definitely not the part when we took that turn too fast and ended up off road. Hahaha! How we ended up back on the road and able to drive home after getting airborne and ripping through trees and bushes in the Mercury Grand Marque is unimaginable. That doghouse we built from scraps has been home to many dogs, in three different backyards across Phoenix, and still stands as solid as the day it was built. I’ll never forget staying up late with you and Grandma watching Jay Leno and eating Blue Bunny Vanilla ice cream with Hershey’s syrup.

I am so fortunate to have had such a beloved Grandfather. I will never forget you.

Love,

Todd

Arrangements under the direction of Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary & Cremation Center, Sun City, AZ.