Rolland Fox, the father of iconic marathon runner Terry Fox, has died at the age of 80, according to his family.
A statement posted on the Terry Fox Foundation’s website reads:
“Our dad and grandpa is no longer telling jokes. Rolland Murray Fox died late afternoon on March 8th while listening to a little Hank Williams. He fulfilled his promise to Terry facing cancer with courage, grace and plenty of humour.
“He thanked everyone, every time as they left the room after caring for him and each and every family member and friend after a visit. Our promise to Dad is to try our very best to focus on the many memories of laughter he gifted us the last few weeks and throughout our lives. His room was always overflowing with family, love, laughter, song and story – does life offer anything better?
Earlier this year, the foundation announced that Rolland Fox, known as Rolly, had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“We have witnessed once again the pain cancer causes but we know, oh how we know, that we are not alone,” the family statement said. “We have seen first-hand the opportunities to extend life because of our nation’s collective belief and investment in cancer research, yet have been forced to accept that they were not available to dad/grandpa. We now have your journey, together with Terry’s, to offer us inspiration and hope from this day forward, forever more.”
Rolly Fox started smoking at age 19, consistent with the times, and quit on a dare from his brother in 1986, the family said. He had completed a 16-kilometre run the next year.
The patriarch was a “behind-the-scenes believer” of his son’s mission for 36 years and after the 2011 death of his wife and Terry Fox’s mother Betty Fox, he became more active, visiting Terry Fox Runs across Canada.
Tributes to one of Canada’s most famous fathers poured in after news of his passing.
“Rolly was very much a proud father,” said Dave Teixeira, a family friend who helped organize the Terry Fox Run in the family’s hometown of Port Coquitlam.
“He was often a fixture, along with his wife Betty, at our runs for many, many years. It was such an incredible opportunity for us over the years to have met Betty and Rolly. They were Canadian history. They had a son who did the unthinkable…they carried on his legacy through the Terry Fox Foundation for the last 36 or 37 years.”
– With files from The Canadian Press