Maureen Clara Fox MBE

31st July 1930 - 20th January 2021
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Service Details
All Saints Anglican Church
Holywood Tce
Gladstone
Invercargill
Sunday 26 January 2020, 1:00PM

 Fox Maureen Clara M.B.E., (former Principal, Kingswell High School) peacefully at Palmerston North Hospital on 20 January 2021, aged 90 years. Dearly loved wife of the late Pat Fox. Loved mother and friend of Aaron and Jo (Bunnythorpe). Adored Nana of Daniel and Isaac Fox. Respected foster mother of John (Auckland) and Neil (Timaru). Will be sadly missed by wider family, former colleagues and all her friends. A service for Maureen will be held at All Saints Anglican Church, Holywood Tce Gladstone, Invercargill on Tuesday 26th January 2021 commencing at 1.00pm. Her interment will follow at Eastern Cemetery. Online tributes may be left on Maureen’s tribute page at frasersfunerals.co.nz/tributes. In lieu of flowers, donations in Maureen’s memory to St John Ambulance would be appreciated. 

Messages

Condolences to the family. Ex Kingswell student.
Jo McIntosh , Invercargill
As a former student of Kingswell High, I am prviledged to say I knew Mrs Fox. I was one of "Her Typing Girls", a term that I always remember very fondly. Mrs Fox also has a particularly special spot in my heart, as she so kindly organised funding through Mrs Eve Poole the Mayor, so that I could attend a music camp. As a young teenager, for someone to notice me, and go to such trouble for me meant so much. Losing a parent and family member is always so hard, but I hope that as you say goodbye to this very special lady, and a Lady she was, that you will have plenty of smiles remembering the good times. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
Danae Raivaru, Invercargill
Maureen's passion for heritage properties and her convincing advocacy for preservation and use is an inspiration to the Anderson House Trust. We could certainly use Maureen's strongly persuasive support to progress the work required to make this magnificent property available for community use. The City should celebrate that Maureen has raised the profile of local heritage values. With admiration and respect from the Anderson House Trust..
Alan Bryce, Riverton
Deepest Sympathies to you Aaron and your family at the passing of your Mum and Gran. Her discovery of her 1st cousin, My Mum Florence and all that came about after this, gave Mum so much joy.
Muriel & John Pedersen
Muriel & John Pedersen, Whitianga
Condolences to the family. Mrs Fox was a wonderful teacher when I attended James Hargest High School. Our paths crossed again when I attended Kingswell High School as an adult student.
Ex Student, Now Sydney
A respected colleague and a generous neighbour when we lived in Filleul Street.
Linda Braun, Hamilton
To Maureen’s family
Please accept deepest sympathy in the sad loss of Maureen. I was one of her Bookkeeping class pupils at Queen’s High School in Dunedin and have fond memories of her dedication and wonderful teaching. She always commanded respect and was deeply interested in each individual pupil and instilled in us a love of learning and made sure that we understood what was being taught. Every girl in our class passed School Certificate which was due to her determination that we would all succeed and this stood us in good stead for our future employment. I can still do shorthand to this day! She was so young as our teacher - only 10 years older than us!
A lovely lady who will be so sadly missed.

Yours sincerely
Iris Shaw (nee Tait)
1955 - 1958 Bookkeeping class
Queen’s High School, Dunedin.
Iris Shaw (nee Tait), Dunedin
My sympathy to you Aaron, and your family. Maureen was a wonderful colleague and friend when I was principal at Kingswell HS in the early 1980s. As deputy-principal, she was always so organized, hardworking, thorough and insightful. Maureen went on to do excellent work for the Anderson Park Art Gallery Society. Invercargill will be grateful for her many contributions.
Michael Deaker, Dunedin
As a small child I remember going to Kingswell with my dad who taught there - Mrs Fox was always so lovely and generous. I'm so sorry for your loss.
Anon, Invercargill
When Maurenn Fox came to South Otago High School, I was in the sixth form and she encouraged me to pursue my commercial studies, teaching me shorthand to pass School Certificate, and continuing with Bookkeeping to UE standard and keeping up Commercial Practice and Typewriting/ She encouraged me and persuaded my father that I should choose a career as a commercial teacher, which I did, attending Auckland Teachers' College and later returning to teach at South Otago. I can't thank her enough for that. I looked on Maureen and Pat as good friends and colleagues.
Elaine McDonald, Dunedin
Aaron, Jo, Daniel & Isaac - Sympathy to you on the passing of Maureen - your loved Mother and Nana - would like to send fuller message of memories of Maureen - perhaps my email could be passed on to you or could I please have a postal address -
thinking of you all - Alma Thompson (cousin)
Alma Thompson, Geraldine
Maureen has left a lasting legacy through the material she donated to the Invercargill City Archive. Her lifelong commitment to collecting records and memorabilia during her years as teacher and principal, as well as during her time with the Historic Places Trust and Troopers Memorial Trust, has created a collection that will benefit researchers for years to come. Our sincere condolences to the family.
Invercargill City Archives, Invercargill
So very sad to hear of the passing of Mrs Fox...I first meet her in my first year at James Hargest High School. She was so kind to me that year when my mother past away. I moved in with other family to another part of Invercargill and went to Kingswell High School, where I again meet her.

She inspired me in more ways than you can ever imagine and assisted in me entering the NZ Navy in 1981.

It’s the good grounding that I received in my school years that has made me the person I am today and Mrs Fox was a major part of that.

Since the navy I have been a radio broadcaster in Auckland, a technology and the last 10 plus years a serving Police Officer in Queensland Australia.

I will forever be indebted to her for her kindness and helpfulness in my school years.

With much respect and love.

Len
Leonard McChesney, North Lakes, Queensland, Australia
To everyone who has kindly left a personal tribute to my mother, please accept the grateful thanks from my family and from me. I know that mum in her long life touched many people's lives, and for the better. In remembering her goodness, and emulating her love of education and young people, we can keep her memory alive. Kind regards to you all. Aaron Fox,
Aaron Fox, Palmerston North