Rose Marie J. Fox

Rose Marie Julia (nee Navarro) Fox peacefully started her journey in Heaven to rejoice in reuniting with her Lord and beloved members of her family and her friends when she left her earthly body on June 11, 2023

Born during the depression in Bethlehem, PA, she was the daughter of Julia and Louis Navarro. She was predeceased by her beloved parents and her two cherished brothers, Walter Wallace Filler and his wife Margaret B. of Fountain Hill, Pa, and Louis (Shiekie) Ramon Navarro (Mary Ann) of Littleton, GA. She was the wife for 66.5 years of Ernest J. Fox, and the mother extraordinaire to her 5 children.

Rose Marie is survived by her devoted husband, the love of her life, Ernest J. Fox of Ambler, PA  and 4 of their children, Alan Fox, Brenda Grob (Kenneth), Diane Cullen (Robert), Elisa Jaffe (Bradley), 9 grandchildren (Kenny Grob, Matthew Grob, Julianne (Jim) Fiorello, Meghan (James) Thorstensen, Alexandra (Pete) Klapsogeorge, Luke Grob, Caroline (Joe) Graham, Harrison Jaffe, Charlotte Jaffe with 3 great grandchildren (Patrick and Bridget Thorstensen and Jack Fiorello) with Baby Fiorello due in September.  She was devastated when predeceased by her beloved son, Cary John Fox in 2016. Cary’s welcome of Mom to Heaven will be glorious, indeed! Rose Marie is also survived by many adoring nieces, nephews, and cousins as she loved her family beyond all else. She is also survived by many dear friends and colleagues as she was a trusted advisor and mentor to all she had the honor to work with.

After her beloved family and friends, Rose Marie’s passions included community theater and banking specializing in finance and taxes. Rose Marie graduated in 1950 with high honors from Bethlehem Catholic High School and started a career as a customer specialist at the People’s Bank on the South Side of Bethlehem before marrying Ernest J. in 1956 and moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she continued her work at a local bank. She started her family in Indiana and moved home to Bethlehem after Ernest graduated and started work in the Philadelphia area.

She and Ernest settled and raised their family for 16 years in Ardsley, PA where she was a resolute servant leader at the Queen of Peach Catholic Church. She taught Physical Education at the QoP elementary school, directed, and choreographed the CYO shows and was a founding member of the Queens Follies where she directed and choreographed sixteen annual musical productions including her favorite Broadway musicals which raised needed funds for improvements to the QoP school facility, particularly the auditorium improvements. Along the way she encouraged and inspired her fellow thespians to pursue their passion - some of whom found their own successes in drama, voice, and musical theater. Rose Marie’s talents were locally revered, and she became the adopted director and choreographer for the BT-BJ Players in Springfield, PA and St. Anthony of the Padua church in Ambler, PA.

In 1978, Ernest and Rose Marie moved to Ambler, PA, where they have resided for 45 years. Rose Marie restarted her banking career full time in 1980 at the Ambler Savings and Loan. Rose Marie retired after 17 years as the Head of New Customer accounts in 1997. Always the initiative-taker, Rose Marie attended college and completed her financial advisor certification and was chosen to start up the AS&L partner company, Invest. She took a keen interest in taxes and up until 2018 was still doing tax returns for many of her customers who became dear friends over time. She lived by the motto “a rolling stone gathers no moss.”  Rose Marie was always busy, always innovating and was an expert in optimizing time and resources trying to add value to all the lives she touched.

During this time, Rose Marie traveled the US and the world to explore its great adventures and especially loved to spend time with her family in Disneyworld in Orlando. Rose Marie frequently traveled with her brother ‘Sheikie’ and his wife Mary Ann sharing adventures in Cancun, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Edisto Island, to name a few. Rose Marie and Ernie also traveled wither her nephews (Louis (Mary) Navarro, Robert Navarro, and Ramon (Doris) Navarro after Lou’s passing).

In her own words, Rose Marie would say, “God is good” and “I am grateful for the gifts in my life.”   Rose Marie was a Tour-de-Force, ahead of her time in thoughts, actions, and words. She had a similar mission to RBG, “I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability.” All who know Rose Marie had firsthand experience with the breadth of her talents and the energy she exuded to utilize them fully. She left no stone unturned.

The family would like to thank and acknowledge the wonderful work and support of the caregivers at Brookside Healthcare and Rehabilitation in Abington, PA for their loving care of Mom over the last 4.5 years. Mom sustained through COVID by the grace of God and the ministering hands of the loving staff at Brookside. In addition, we would like to thank the residents at Brookside for their friendships and kindnesses over the years, the light was truly shining on Mom through her journey.

Services are being overseen by Shaeff-Myers Funeral Home in Ambler, PA. The viewing is Saturday June 17, 2023, at 9:30 AM and St. Anthony of the Padua Church, 259 Forest Avenue Ambler, PA 19002 with a mass immediately following at 11 AM. Interment will be at St. John Neumann Cemetery in Chalfont, PA at 12:30 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to be made in Rose Marie’s memory by donating to:

The Walnut Street Theatre ( https://walnutstreettheatre.org/support/ ) or American Cancer Society ( https://www.cancer.org/ , by phone -1-800-227-2345 or by USPS mail PO Box 1640 Hagerstown, MD 21741.