Violet Fox

Violet (Swaboski) Fox, 77, formerly of Glenburn Twp., died peacefully March 12 at her home in Scranton. She was the wife of Gene Fox, to whom she was married since 1997.

Born May 8, 1940, in Exeter, Violet was the daughter of the late Stanley J. and Sophie Agnes (Zielinski) Swaboski. She graduated from Holy Rosary High School in Scranton.

She was a former member of the Our Lady of the Snows choir, Women's Guild and prayer group. She was always dedicated to enriching the lives of her children through her work as a group leader in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H. Violet opened and operated the Station House Gift Shoppe and was a bus driver for local area school districts. She also volunteered for TeleSpond Senior Services.

She learned to cook from her mother, both standard fare at her family's Station Restaurant and Polish favorites for holidays and other celebrations. She was even featured in The Scranton Times Recipe of the Week column. She was an avid gardener and birdwatcher. Her knowledge of flowers and wildlife was extensive. Her favorite hobbies included bingo, a challenging game of Scrabble and visiting her various "grandpets." At St. Thomas More Parish, Violet was an active member in the Adult Education Program and cooked for their potluck dinners.

Violet was a breast cancer survivor. She brought joy and inspiration to the members of her survivors' group and all who heard her stories and laughter. She enjoyed the monthly gatherings to learn about and share ways to enrich her life, especially yoga. Violet's caring and compassion will be deeply missed.

In addition to her husband Gene, she is survived by her children, Rosanne McDonough (Barry), of Alexandria, Va.; Beverly Hanis (Frank), of Clarks Summit; Geralyn Denlinger (Doug), of Carlisle; and Mitchell Surowiec (Lisa), of Beverly, Mass. Also surviving are three sisters, Theresa Murphy, of Glenburn; Sister Madeline Swaboski, I.H.M., of Scranton; and Carol (Robert "Pete") VanFleet, of Dalton; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; many nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph M. Surowiec.

The funeral will be March 24 with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. celebrated by the Rev. Eric Bergman at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish, 116 Theodore St., Scranton, PA 18508. Visitation will be held before the Mass at the church from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Interment to follow at St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Foundation for Cancer Care, 236 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.