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Hazel Fox
September 17, 2018

Obituary

Hazel M. Fox (Heatherington) age 94, of Stoughton, formerly of Sharon passed away September 17th at the Copley @ Stoughton after a long and eventful life. Born in Natural Bridge, NY she and her six siblings were raised in several small towns in northern NY because their father was a Methodist minister. Hazel graduated from Madrid High School in Madrid, NY and Potsdam Normal School (now SUNY Potsdam).

She started her teaching career in an elementary school in Port Washington, Long Island - a major move for a North Country girl. While there she met and married Horace Greeley Fox and continued her semi-nomadic existence because Harry was a newspaper reporter who moved several times for work. Each time, Hazel packed up the house and three children and went along. She found work teaching everywhere she went and branched out to teach Junior High and High School art. Harry died in 1962 and Hazel moved with her children back to Waddington, NY to be near her family. Her last teaching job before retirement was at Saint Lawrence Psychiatric Center in Ogdensburg, NY.

Throughout her life, Hazel traveled as much as she was able but after retiring she was really able to gratify her wanderlust. For 15 of those years she shared her life and travels with her companion, Calvin R. Simmons. Over the years, the girl from northern NY visited the family cottage in Ireland, stood on the rim of a volcano in Hawaii, attended the first elder hostel on the QE2, and visited Greece and Turkey to name just a few of her adventures.

She never lost her love of the North Country, however. She cross country skied and hiked in the Adirondacks for as long as she was able and photographed many places in the area, especially her beloved St. Lawrence River. She hosted awesome family reunions at her house on the river that included good food, card games, and music with Hazel at the piano. And she was especially good at being a grandmother.

She spent her final years with her son and daughter in law in Sharon, MA and then near them at the Arbors in Stoughton.

She was the mother of Gary W. Fox and his wife Ellen of Sharon, Susan E. Fox of Huntington, Long Island and the late Richard L. Fox. Mother in law of Cheryl Fox of Fenton, MO. Grandmother of Daniel, Elizabeth and Brendon Fox. Sister of the late Lawrence Heatherington, Jean Nichols, Louine Pernice, Viola Myers, Elsie Buck, and Murial Bicknell. Beloved aunt and great aunt to nieces and nephews all over the US.

Visiting hours at the Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home 455 Washington St. Canton Friday September 28th from 4-7 pm. Memorial service at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 1508 Washington St. Canton Saturday, morning, September 29th at 11 am. Burial private. Donations may be made in her memory to the MSPCA 350 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130 or online at www.mspca.org or to WGBH Educational Foundation 1 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135 or online at www.wgbh.org

MSPCA

WGBH

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Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home
455 Washington St.
Canton, MA 02021
781-828-0811