Obituary: Marilyn Fox, prominent civic leader, 89

Marilyn Fox, one of St. Louis’s most prominent civic leaders, known for her work with local charities, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations, died peacefully at home Sunday, Feb. 18, surrounded by family. She was 89.

At Washington University, Fox and her husband, Sam Fox, the former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, established a variety of scholarship programs and endowed professorships. In recognition of their service and generosity, one of WashU’s eight schools bears the family name: the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

“Marilyn Fox was an incredibly kind, gracious, thoughtful and inspirational advocate for St. Louis,” said Carmon Colangelo, the Ralph J. Nagel Dean of the Sam Fox School and the E. Desmond Lee Professor for Collaboration in the Arts. “Like many others, I have been deeply inspired by her achievements and deeply honored both by her friendship and by her selfless commitment to our students. Never content with the status quo, Marilyn had a profound impact on our community.”

The daughter of East European immigrants, Marilyn Widman was raised a short walk north of WashU’s Danforth Campus, on Leland Avenue in the Delmar Loop. She attended University City High School and, during her senior year, met Sam Fox, a recent Washington University graduate. She began taking classes at WashU herself but after the couple married, in 1953, she left school to support the family, raising two daughters and three sons.

As her children grew older, and as Sam’s company, the Harbour Group, found increasing success, Marilyn began volunteering with the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, where she would eventually serve as board secretary, executive committee member and president and campaign chair of the Women’s Division. She also began volunteering with the Jewish Community Center, where, in 1992, she was elected the first woman president, and would go on to hold leadership roles with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Missouri Historical Society and the Old Newsboy’s Day Campaign for Kids, among many others.

A longtime trustee at Webster University, Fox chaired, for more than two decades, the annual fundraising gala for Variety, the Children’s Charity of St. Louis. With Sam, she established the Fox Family Foundation, which has supported hundreds of organizations addressing basic human needs such as food and shelter.

As a young woman, “I wouldn’t ever have called myself a leader,” she said in a 2015 interview with the historical society. Yet as time went on, “I felt more comfortable and really believed in what I was doing.” She later added: “I hope the theme of my life was living in happiness and teaching that to my kids and being part of the community and trying to help the people and be kind to other people.”

With Sam, Marilyn was a member of WashU’s Danforth Circle and William Greenleaf Eliot Society. In 1980 the couple established the Sam & Marilyn Fox Scholarship through the Olin Business School’s Scholars in Business Program and in 2006 celebrated formation of the Sam Fox School, which unified WashU’s Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum with its nationally ranked programs in art, architecture and design. During his address at the school’s dedication, Sam called Marilyn “the foundation” of his life.

Together, in 2018, the couple established the Sam and Marilyn Fox Professorship within the Sam Fox School and in 2022 permanently endowed the Sam Fox Ambassadors Graduate Fellowships. Each year, the fellowships provide full-tuition waivers for 10 outstanding graduate candidates, drawn from both the Graduate School of Art and the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design.

Washington University awarded Marilyn an honorary doctorate in the humanities in 2013. Other honors include the St. Louis Woman of Achievement Award; the Variety St. Louis Woman of the Year Award; the Old Newsboys Day Lifetime Achievement Award; the National Council of Community and Justice Brotherhood Sisterhood Award; and the YWCA Leader of Distinction Award.

In 2018, Marilyn and Sam received the Dean’s Medal for service to the Sam Fox School. The couple also has received honorary public service degrees from Saint Louis University; the Jane and Whitney Harris Saint Louis Community Service Award; and the Excellence in Philanthropy Award from the Arts and Education Council.

Fox is survived by Sam, her husband of 70 years; by daughters Cheri and Pamela; and by sons Jeff and Steven. Her son Greg died in 2016. Other survivors include 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Feb. 20, at Temple Israel in Creve Coeur, followed by a private burial. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the charity of one’s choice.