Former Morris Sheriff, Freeholder John Fox Dies at 73

John Fox Sr. changed the law enforcement landscape in Morris County to what residents know it as today.

The Parsippany resident of 60 years died Saturday at the age of 73.

Fox was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. and moved to East Orange as a young child, then Livingston before settling in Parsippany on March 1, 1955.

He became a police officer for Parsippany in 1965 and rose to the rank of detective. In 1975 he was elected Sheriff of Morris County and spent the next 18 years in that role. In that position, Fox turned the Sheriff’s Office into a support system for local police departments, and created the Morris CrimeStoppers program, Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program, K-9 Unit, Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team, and the criminal investigation division.

Fox retired in 1992 and became a Morris County Freeholder, a councilman in Parsippany, and was most recently the commissioner of the Morris County Board of Elections.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Ann, three children, and five grandchildren.

Visiting hours are set for 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Par-Troy Funeral Home on Parsippany Road in Parsippany, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial to be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 at St. Christopher Church on Littleton Road in Parsippany.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the 200 Club of Morris County, P.O. Box 1743, Morristown, NJ 07962.

Photo Courtesy Par-Troy Funeral Home