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Tom Fox

21 Dec 1954 to 27 May 2008

Tom Fox became involved in Corsham Running Club very soon after it was formed in 1999. He had always been keen on running from his days as a schoolboy in Warwickshire when he represented the county at schoolboy level with his twin brother Peter, also a good runner. He continued to enjoy running competitively, and for his own enjoyment, all the way through his life until his untimely death in the Lacock relays on Tuesday 27 May.

Tom graduated from Birmingham Dentistry School and started his career working in Bridport in Dorset as a dentist. During the early 80’s he played rugby for Bridport Town where he would have been a nimble fly half using his speed and agility to move the ball forward. It wasn’t too long before he took up an opportunity to become an ‘Associate’ in a Dental Practice in Bath which was when he and Gill moved to Wadswick near Corsham. He took up golf at Kingsdown Golf Club for a period, started his abiding interest in playing the trumpet and joined Bath Spa Brass Band and the Bath All Comers Orchestra. He and Gill purchased a tandem and spent many happy hours cycling around Wiltshire and further afield often achieving over 100 miles a day, even travelling as far as Hannover and back. Tom would always be in the front saddle in charge of proceedings, and relying on Gill to power the bike along and navigate at the same time. Shortly before their first child, Claire, was born in 1986 Tom took the plunge and set up his own Dental Practice in Corsham and became more involved in the town activities. He had a spell as Chairman of Corsham Wind Band and was a keen Round Tabler. For a while he was the Area Chairman for Round Table, and the National Membership Officer. Recognising his keen sporting interest, organisational ability and eye for detail, he was asked to take on the organisation of a National Sporting Weekend.

In 2001 he had early warning signs of problems with his heart and underwent coronary artery by pass surgery. Tom was determined to regain his health and fitness as soon as possible and was soon back doing gentle runs. His target was to run marathons again having successfully negotiated a good number including the London Marathon at least 3 times. He succeeded in this ambition and just this year managed to achieve a time of 3 hours 52mins, using it as a fund raising opportunity for the British Heart Foundation. As soon as he got home he applied for the 2009 London Marathon. He was never one to rest on his laurels. In the ‘post op’ era as he used to call it, he became more and more involved in club runs and social activities. He was a formidable member of quiz teams and used his extensive general knowledge (although he was proud to admit to a poor knowledge of modern music) to usually be in the hunt for a prized bottle of wine for the winner.

He would support Club runs wherever possible and was always keen to pull on his Corsham Running Club vest to participate in local races, or on the summer runs - especially the cross country ones which were his favourite. The muddier he became the happier he was. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of his previous times for each event and many of his fellow runners’ times too. Tom was a quiet and modest man, though fiercely competitive. He would do his utmost to clip the odd seconds off last year’s time for whatever event he was running in and get back to the ‘pre op’ times that he was used to. He was one of the most competitive members in the club and was already eyeing up the Club Championship and assessing his chances of winning this year.

Many of us in Corsham Running Club had the pleasure and privilege of running with Tom. He was always excellent company with a quick wit and an unlimited stock of stories, both about and beyond running. Tom always took a keen interest in how everyone else was faring with their running and was always very positive and supportive.

Tom died doing what he loved, competing for the Club and looking for another victory that could afterwards be analysed in great detail with his team mates. He leaves his wife Gill and three children, Tom, Claire and Rachael. He will be badly missed by them and by many people whose lives he influenced through his Dental Practice, the Running Club and his many friends.

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