There’s one word that immediately springs to mind when the name Randall G. Fox is mentioned ? respect.
Fox, who passed away August 16, 2007 following a 19-month battle with cancer, was widely respected in both his business and personal lives.
‘He’s one of my heroes,? said Jim MacPhee, chief executive officer of Kalamazoo County State Bank.
Fox, who lead Oxford Bank for 23 years under the various titles of chairman, president and CEO, was respected by his peers for his solid leadership, far-reaching vision and business acumen.
‘Everybody wanted to talk to Randy Fox (at banking conferences and conventions),? said Jeff Davidson, chairman, president and CEO of Oxford Bank. ‘He was an icon in the industry for Michigan.?
Fox, a former Lake Orion resident, was respected by many for his wisdom, subtle wit, generosity, kindness and community spirit. His devotion as a family man and loyalty as a friend earned him even more respect as did his integrity and sincerity. Above all, Randall Fox was respected because he truly respected those around him.
‘If any of his employees, whether it was a brand new teller or (bank) officer of 35 years, had a health or personal issue that he was made aware of, he would talk to them,? Davidson said. ‘He was sincerely interested in every employee.?
‘He could engage you in conversation and make you feel as if you were the center of the universe,? said Nick Hevron, chief financial officer for Oxford Bank and a friend of Fox’s for 43 years.
Rise to the top
Fox began his banking career in September 1964 at the Wayne Oakland Bank in Royal Oak where he spent 18 years in various positions. He worked his way up from assistant cashier at the largest branch office to vice president and commercial loan officer.
Eventually, the Wayne Oakland Bank was acquired by First of America Bank-Troy. The hard-working Fox was promoted to president and CEO, a position in which he served until coming to Oxford in May 1984.
Fox became the 10th president in Oxford Bank’s then 100-year history. He was named bank CEO and chairman in 1986.
When the Oxford Bank Corporation was formed in August 1988, he became the first chairman, president and CEO of the entity.
More than just a small town bank
Under Fox’s leadership, Oxford Bank experienced unprecedented growth.
‘He was a man with a vision and his vision was to grow this bank and become recognized as one of Michigan’s premiere community banks. I believe he accomplished that.,? said Davidson, noting it was Fox who brought commercial banking to Oxford.
The bank’s total assets grew from just over $71 million in 1984 to more than $515 million today, making it the 16th largest bank or thrift in southeast Michigan as ranked by Crain’s Detroit Business.
‘He was, in my opinion, one of the best presidents in the history of the bank,? Hevron said. ‘Randy was very much the right man at the right time.?
Oxford Bank expanded into other communities under Fox, opening branches in Clarkston, Ortonville, Dryden, Goodrich and Davison.
‘He wanted to go into communities that had personalities like Oxford because we knew why we were successful here,? Davidson said. ‘Oxford Bank, to him, was more than just a one-town, little community bank. It was an institution.?
The bank also opened a finance center and operations center in Oxford plus a commercial banking center in Lake Orion. A subsidiary mortgage company was created in 2003.
‘He was always kind of a cut above the industry when it came to issues that were important to his bank,? said MacPhee, who first met Fox at the University of Michigan’s Graduate School of Bank Management three decades ago. ‘He was able to clearly see the path that the bank should take. You can tell the influence he had on Oxford Bank by its growth.?
Fox the boss
‘As a boss, he was extremely demanding, but at the same time extremely fair and tactful,? said Davidson, who was hired by Fox in September 1985. ‘He never, ever treated me with anything but respect.?
Fox knew how to get the most out of his employees without making them feel unimportant or inferior. ‘He knew how to motivate people in a way that pushed them, but not over the edge,? Davidson said. ‘He always knew those limits.?
When Fox asked questions or made a request, he expected the response to have ‘all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed.?
‘He challenged you, which made you learn more,? Davidson said. A soft-spoken master of subtlety, Fox was always able to ‘get his point across? without ‘yelling.?
‘He had a quiet competence about him that was just very comforting and very enjoyable,? Hevron said.
Fox the mentor
Like the proverbial wise man sitting on the mountain top, Fox’s opinion and counsel were sought by many within his industry.
‘A lot of folks would look to him for advice and more than just giving it, he would look for ways to help people reach their own conclusions,? Hevron said.
‘I always looked to Randy for good advice,? MacPhee said. ‘Randy was a unique man. He was very intelligent. A great listener. Very perceptive.?
Fox imparted his wisdom to the state’s banking industry by serving as treasurer of the Michigan Bankers Association and as a member of the organization’s executive committee, executive council and legislative council. He was also past president and past chairman of the Michigan Association of Community Bankers.
Whenever a major issue affecting the banking industry arose, Fox could be counted on to get right to the point.
‘He had a way of cutting right to the issue and getting a good solid response or answer for whatever the particular issue happened to be,? MacPhee said.
Davidson is perhaps the person most impact by Fox’s professional mentorship. He was personally groomed and molded by Fox to take over as head of Oxford Bank.
‘You couldn’t ask for a better teacher,? he said. ‘He’d tell me when he thought I needed a haircut or when my collar looked like it wasn’t starched.?
When he was 29 years old, Davidson’s father passed away. Fox helped fill the void.
‘He was there when I needed a father-figure to talk to,? Davidson said.
An honest man
‘He had a great deal of integrity both in his business life and his personal life,? said Metamora resident Douglas Toppin.
Toppin knew Randy for 35 years as a fellow horse lover and as the partner at Plante & Moran who oversaw the firm’s annual audit of Oxford Bank.
Toppin recalled an incident at a banking convention about 10 year ago which exemplifies Fox’s honesty.
A vendor had a display set up with a jar packed full of items. Whoever guessed the correct number of items inside the jar (or closest to it) would win a prize.
In a blatant attempt to ‘curry favor,? Toppin said the vendor told Fox the winning number on the sly so he could claim the prize.
‘He refused to do it,? Toppin said. ‘He didn’t want any part of that sort of thing.?
‘He was just a good man. I’ll miss him.?
Family man
There’s no doubt Fox loved his family. He was lucky enough to have two of them.
He spent 26 years with his first wife, Shari, who passed away in 1990. They had two children ? Todd and Traci.
Then in 1993, he was blessed enough to find love again, marrying Barbara and finding himself with two stepchildren ? Ryan and Cameron Roney ? whom he treated as if they were his own.
‘He loved Barb very much and was very proud of her,? MacPhee said. ‘That was evident when they’d show up at meetings (of the Michigan Association of Community Bankers). You knew they were a couple.?
Fox’s pride and joy were his six beautiful grandchildren ? three of which were born after he was diagnosed with cancer.
It was the desire to see those last three grandchildren born and spend time with them that gave Fox the extra strength to live 17 months longer than the 60 days doctors gave him.
Community Spirit
Oxford wasn’t just Fox’s place of business, it was his home. The people in this town weren’t just his customers and clients, they were his friends and neighbors.
‘His passion for Oxford was sincere and genuine,? Davidson said.
That’s why Fox, who lived on Dennison St., ‘fostered? and ‘ingrained? the idea of bank employees being involved in the community.
From service groups to the chamber of commerce to the Downtown Development Authority, he encouraged his employees to become a positive force in the town and be his eyes and ears.
‘He always knew what was going on because we kept him on top of that stuff,? Davidson said. ‘Knowing he couldn’t get to everything, he made sure he was at all the major events.?
Time to relax
When he wasn’t guiding the bank, Fox was an avid fisherman, golfer and horseman.
On the golf course, MacPhee said, ‘Randy was a competitor.?
‘He was not large in stature in terms of his strength, but ability-wise, he could make a game of golf pretty interesting,? he said.
But as competitive as he could be, Fox was always a graceful sportsman.
‘I never saw him throw a club or lose his temper,? MacPhee said. ‘He was always one of those guys that when he hit a bad shot, he could laugh and joke about it. We always had just a great time on the golf course.?
Toppin will miss going to horse sales with Fox, wearing western hats and ‘playing cowboy.?
Obituary information
Fox is survived by his wife of 14 years, Barbara; his children Todd (JoAnn) Fox, Traci (Brandon) Stolle, Ryan and Cameron Roney; and six grandchildren.
He’s also survived by his mother Marguerite Fox as well as his brother Tim (Patty) and his sisters Carol (Dave) and Kathy (Ed).
Fox is preceded in death by his first wife, Shari, and father Randall M. Fox.
A funeral service was held Aug. 20 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion. Interment was at White Chapel Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to Gleaners Food Bank (2131 Beaufait, Detroit, 48207) or Hospice of Michigan-Development Dept. (400 Mack Ave., Detroit, 48201).