It is 2:33 am Pacific time (4:33 Central) as I sit here in the basement of my parent's house in Davenport, IA.
My Grandma (known to family as "Mimi") passed away this week and I made the journey home to celebrate her life. I've had trouble sleeping much since she has moved on. I've gotten in a few naps and and alcohol induced 5 hours of sleep in Denver thanks to United Airlines.
Mimi was such a wonderful person. She was married for 60 years to my Grandpa - Jim "Pop" Fox (who passed in '06). Grandpa is somewhat of a legend in the Quad City area. He coached 6 players that went onto the NFL, including Roger Craig and his brother. Between Pop's coaching and Mimi's teaching (27 years in the Davenport schools) there have been a great deal of lives affected by them both.
I was amazed, although I shouldn't be at the volume of ex-players, students and teachers at both of their visitations. Mimi was aging quickly in the past year. I was lucky enough to see her in October as I was home for work. She tired easily and you could tell she got people, days, places confused. Nevertheless she was still the best Grandma and friend anyone could ask for. Mimi was my source of information about the family - "XXXX had a new baby.", "XXXX and XXXXX are moving.", she knew everything that happened in the Fox family. I will miss getting her updates every week or so (even if she sometimes didn't respect the west coast time change). When my phone would ring at 5AM on a weekend I knew it was either work, or Mimi.
I have so many stories I could share about the 26 years I was able to spend with her and the many, many things she taught me. All I know is that she will be able to spend Christmas with Pop for the first time in 5 years and I can take comfort in knowing that she is in a better place checking in on all of us just as much as she would from Earth.
RIP Beth "Mimi" Fox
