Jane Fox

Catherine Jane Halbert Fox, known as Jane to all who knew her, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2026, at the age of 86. Born in Gifford, Arkansas, in 1939, Jane grew up in Malvern before attending Ouachita Baptist College. It was there she met her future husband, Thurston Shelby Fox, who she married on April 7, 1961.

Throughout their life together, Jane and Thurston moved frequently due to his military service. Their journey included time at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where their son Robert was born in 1962; Alaska, where their daughter Vicki was born in 1963 and where they experienced the 1964 Good Friday earthquake; followed by residences in Virginia, Missouri, Panama, Korea, then back to Ft. Bragg and eventually back to Arkansas.

Jane and Thurston opened their home to servicemen and women far from home, welcoming them without hesitation. They could stay there as long as they liked; the only stipulation was to turn off the lights and lock the doors when they left. And they did stay, often long into the night. Their commitment extended deeply into supporting local churches wherever they lived and helping establish new congregations, guided by Jane’s strong faith and belief in the Great Commission.

While in Arkansas, Jane devoted herself to her family and embraced her love of music, joining a gospel quartet. She traveled around the state singing alto and playing piano alongside her best friend and “cohort” MaryEllen White and her husband Larry White. She loved to sing a good gospel hymn.

By this point, the nomad life was in their blood. Eventually, they bought a motorhome and hit the road. Thurston and Jane full-time RV’d for quite a while, travelling with their “RV friends,” who were too many to count.

What defined Jane was her boundless love for people and Jesus. If she said she was going to pray for you, she was going to pray and get results! She always said, “I can’t do much for you, but I can pray!” And she did.

Jane leaves behind her son Robert (Tammy), daughter Vicki, granddaughters Lauren Fox and Aly Fox-Laverick (Jack), and great-granddaughter Nora Jane. She was preceded in her death by husband Thurston Fox, her parents Loretta Keesee Halbert and Lawrence “Preacher” Halbert, and her brother Max Halbert.

A service will be held to honor her life on May 6th at 9:00 am at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, 1501 W Maryland Ave, North Little Rock, AR 72120. Friends and family are invited to honor a remarkable woman whose legacy of love, faith, and hospitality continues to inspire all who knew her.