Norris Lee Fox

Norris L. Fox was born February 14, 1933, in Searcy and passed away peacefully July 15, 2018 at Unity Health in Searcy. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Emogene Walmsley Fox and two children, Dana Fox and husband, David Wigley of Atlanta, Georgia, and Jay Fox of Little Rock. He is preceded in death by his parents, Charlie E. and Katherine Shoffner Fox and his brother, Donald Pat Fox. A 1951 graduate of Bald Knob High School, Fox was captain of the basketball and football teams, President of both the Beta Club and Senior Class and enrolled at State Teachers College (now UCA) and volunteered for the Army before the draft. Childhood sweethearts, he and Emogene married February 13, 1954 and by the end of that year was stationed in Germany during the Korean Conflict. Following his discharge, Fox returned to play both basketball and baseball at Southern State College in Magnolia (now SAU). After graduation, he accepted a job at Bald Knob High School teaching history and serving as high school counselor, where the yearbook was dedicated to him in 1964. He and Emogene also owned the Dairy Queen and Fox was elected Mayor in 1965 where he served until 1970 and he would later serve in the same capacity 1990-1994. Working with the Board of Aldermen, some of the highlights include building the Bald Knob Public Library, over hauling the city wastewater treatment plant, building a sports complex and with private funding the Bald Knob Country Club. Fox was also Director of the Region I Migrant Educational Service Center from 1976 to 1989. As a high school junior working for his parents at the Fox Motel, Restaurant & Service Station, he met Pryor Evans who was looking for an official to help referee a basketball game that night. Despite being “scared to death,” Fox accepted the request and developed a love for officiating that lasted nearly 40 years. Long regarded as the state’s best basketball referee as the number one ranked official in both the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) and the Arkansas Officials Association (AOA), where he was an inaugural inductee in its Hall of Fame and also received the inaugural Jerry Hall Award. He also officiated in several Division I Conferences such as Southwest, Southland, Trans-America and Missouri Valley Conferences and was selected to referee five consecutive NAIA National Championship Tournaments in Kansas City, later serving on the National Committee. He was also an International Referee travelling to all parts of the globe with teams including China, Australia and Russia. He served as Referee-in-Chief at the state high school basketball tournaments, high school overall tournament and National AAU Tournaments. In 1981, he passed on his expertise establishing the Norris Fox Referee Camp. Fox retired from officiating in 1991 with his last game being the annual “Battle of the Ravine” between Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State. At last count he wore the stripes for more than 5,000 games on the hardwood and several years on the gridiron including national championship playoff games in the NAIA and state high school championships. He was an avid golfer, founding member of the Bald Knob Country Club, long-time member at Searcy Country Club and a supporter of the Arkansas State Golf Association attending every Arkansas Golf Awards Banquet from 1994. A voracious reader, he was working on his own book until his declining health. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Norris Fox Scholarship at Southern Arkansas University (SAU, 100 East University, Magnolia, AR 71753), the University of Central Arkansas (UCA, P.O. Box 2014, Conway, AR 72035) or the First Presbyterian Church (400 West Arch Ave., Searcy, AR 72143). A visitation will be held at Powell Funeral Home, 2602 West Beebe-Capps Expressway in Searcy with the family receiving friends 5:00-7:00 pm Wednesday, July 17. The family will also receive friends 9:00-10:00 am on Thursday, July 18 at First Presbyterian Church Educational Building in Searcy. Funeral service will begin at 10:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery in Bald Knob. The family would like to thank the staff at Unity Health including Dr. David Covey and his team of doctors and nurses, especially retired registered nurse Barbara Norman for her outstanding care.

Norris Lee Fox

February 14, 1933 - July 15, 2018