Marion Fox Clegg

Marion Fox Clegg of Hyde Park passed away peacefully at home with her family on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023.

Marion had three great loves, her God, her family and her country and dedicated her life to all three.

Marion was born at the City of Angels Hospital in Hollywood, California on November 4, 1932 to Leno A. Fox of Fairfax and Elsie E. (Sprinkle) Fox of Baltimore, MD.  When she was two, the family moved from California to Miami, FL.  They made the trip on a motorcycle with Marion riding on her mother’s lap in a sidecar.  A few years later they moved to Long Green Valley, MD where her parents worked for the Hockley family, owners of a large horse farm.  Marion loved to tell of seeing famous race horses like Sea  Biscuit and Man O’ War that were often boarded at the farm.  When she was 5, the Hockley family gave her a pony that she learned to jump fences with and spent many hours riding around the countryside.

After her father passed away in 1941, Marion began visiting her aunt and uncle, Hector and Marion Bailey of Morrisville.  In 1948 she moved to Morrisville full time and attended People’s Academy where she was fondly referred to by her classmates as their Southern Belle and as the “Ted Williams” of the softball team.   She graduated with honors in 1951.  Marion’s love of horses continued in Morrisville where she was part of the Lamoille County Riding & Driving Club.  She was also a member of the Vermont State Police Mounted Auxiliary.  During her time with the Auxiliary, she and Ida Manning of Morrisville had the distinction of being the first women to stand guard over  a United States  spacecraft when John Glenn’s  Friendship 7 capsule made a stop at the Capitol in Montpelier on its’ nationwide tour following the historic first American orbit of the Earth.  Marion also served as Civil Defense Coordinator for Lamoille County following the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1966 she married John Clegg of Morrisville.  In the years following she raised two children, John Jr., and Valerie and was involved with many Christian and political organizations.  In 1976 she and John took over the family business which they ran together until 2010.  Her love for her country was rooted in her proud family history that dates back prior to the Revolutionary War.  Her distant relatives include Jedidiah Hyde, for whom Hyde Park was named and Laura Ovitt for whom Ovitt, Nebraska was named.

Marion was predeceased by her parents and her son, Michael Langdell.  She is survived by her husband of 57 years, John Clegg.  Her son John Jr., and her daughter Valerie.  Grandchildren Derek and Shelby Clegg and Maryann, Christopher and Brian Langdell, 7 great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.

Services will be private and the family asks that donations in her memory be made to Lamoille Home Health and Hospice, who provided tremendous support and care to her and her family throughout the last few years.

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