Larry Lee Fox passed away peacefully Wednesday, October 1, 2025, surrounded by family. Larry was born in Walla Walla, Washington on May 4, 1940, the first child of parents Rufus and Georgia Fox. He graduated from UW in 1965 with a teaching certificate and earned a school counseling certificate in 1977. He served Washington schools for 29 years, starting in Edmonds and later Montesano, Camas, Kent, and Coupeville. Through those 29 years, he taught middle and high school social studies and language arts, then moved into high school counseling. Along the way, he paced the sidelines as "coach".

Larry had a lifelong commitment to the United Methodist Church. He attended Methodist Youth Fellowship while young and joined Wesley Club at UW. At Langley UMC, his beloved church home of nearly 40 years, Larry served as lay leader and a delegate to church conferences and sang joyfully in the choir. His faith and rootedness in the UMC spurred Larry's desire for social justice and proved a vehicle for his gifts of advocacy and compassion. A 1961 Methodist /United Nations student conference during the Congo Crisis influenced Larry to develop curriculum for the first "American Minorities" classes taught in the Edmonds School District in the late 60s. Larry was a founding board member of South Whidbey Youth Center, the "HUB", which opened at Langley UMC in 1989 and to this day offers youth a safe and supportive after-school space. In the 1990s, Larry traveled twice to Zimbabwe with the Pacific Northwest UMC "Jubilate" Choir, which raised funds to endow music programs at Africa University in Mutare. Larry, who considered "making good trouble" a virtue, was especially proud of his one lifetime arrest in May 2000. One of the "Cleveland 29", Larry stood with other lay delegates and disrupted proceedings of the UM General Conference, demanding the inclusion of queer people into the full life of the church. He worked for many years with local and state PFLAG groups, and with the UM Parent's Reconciling Network, leading the charge for Langley UMC to become a "Reconciling" congregation, open to all regardless of sexual orientation.

Larry is survived by his wife, Erica Eden of Freeland, WA; daughters Laura Fox of Enumclaw, WA and Colleen Fox of Coupeville, WA; stepsons Nathan Hambley of Seattle, WA and Stuart Hambley of Lakewood, WA; sister Becky Fox of Gig Harbor, WA; grandchildren Hannah Bush (Merrell), Eli Merrell, Sophia Merrell, and great granddaughter Norah.

Join us in celebrating Larry's life on Saturday, November 1st, 1:00 pm at Langley United Methodist Church, 301 Anthes Avenue in Langley, WA. If you have further questions about the service, please contact Langley UMC at (360) 221-4233.

Please consider making a donation in Larry's name to:

● The HUB - after school drop-in program in Langley, WA

● Ryan's House - shelter for homeless youth in Coupeville, WA

● GLSEN - working for safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education nationwide

To share memories of Larry, please visit www.evanschapel.com/obituary/larry-fox