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I am sad to report the passing
of a good friend and a force in philatelic world, Bill Fox, who died
June 12, 2008 at his home in Naples, Florida. He is survived by his
wife of 22 years, Gisela, and his two sons by a prior marriage.
Bill was born
September 3, 1929 in Easton, Pennsylvania. He
graduated from William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia
where he was the college roommate and best friend of another
colossal force in Confederates, the late William G. Bogg. He caught
the philatelic bug early and in the mid 1950s and early 1960s he
worked for Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries.
Memories of Bill and time spent
with him all the way back into the late 1960s flooded back when I
heard of his passing. In the early days, he and Bill Bogg were an
inseparable duo who traveled together and always had adjoining
tables at shows. And Bill Fox always wore a burgundy jacket –
always. It was a show trademark for him. We used to tease him that
it was going to fall apart. And “Boggsy”, as Bill Fox used to call
him - or “Mr. Covers” - always had on what seemed like the same gray
suit – and may have been. I used to call them the Bobsy twins,
always together. When “Boggsy” died in 1986, Bill brokered the sale
of New England Stamp Company to the present owners who still
maintain it in Naples. John and Bill and I attended Boggsy’s funeral
together along with others.
Bill joined the Confederate
Stamp Alliance in 1961 as member #1140 and was known not only for
Confederates, but as a top dealer and leading auctioneer whose
philatelic knowledge spanned the globe. In the current climate of
specialization, he was one of the few remaining old-time genre of
professional philatelists who truly had a worldwide philatelic
knowledge. He also handled major properties such as John Boker’s
locals and carriers collection, which he marketed privately. For
years he lived and worked out of Short Hills, New Jersey.
When he sold the auction house
that bore his name, he retired to split his time between homes in
Hilton Head, South Carolina and Naples, Florida. My late husband
John and I spent a fair amount of time with both Bills and visited
both in their respective Naples homes. Bill also convinced us – no,
begged us - to buy a lot at Moss Creek Plantation in Hilton Head
near him for our retirement days. I haven’t found retirement yet,
nor plan on it any time soon, and the Moss Creek lot is regretfully
long ago sold. When we met Gisela for the first time, we were wowed
by her culinary skills and I was amazed by her virtual wall of
cookbooks such that I now have my own mass of cookbooks and credit
that to her as my inspiration.
Bill’s own private collections
included a top collection of the U.S. 3¢ 1851 issue sold by Schuyler
J. Rumsey at the 2006 Washington International show and, of course,
Confederates. Most recently, Bill sold his collection of South
Carolina material through Schuyler – a mostly poorly kept secret
that we euphemistically called the “Renard” (French for Fox) sale.
While Kaufmann Auctions held the official NAPEX show auction in the
1970s and 80s, Bill held the second ever NAPEX auction in 1964.
Due to failing health, Bill
wasn’t seen as much on the show circuit in recent years. I last saw
him at the CSA annual convention at the Southern Supper held at the
National Postal Museum at NAPEX in 2005. He was upset that his
health prevented him from attending the Washington International
show in 2006.
Bill’s legacy lives on and he
will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched.
Patricia A. Kaufmann
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