Paul David Fox

 Paul David Fox, of San Diego, California passed away on May 9, 2023, from complications of hyperthermia while mountain biking in Palm Springs. He was 53 years old. Paul is survived by his loving wife of 24 years, Rita, and their three children, Catherine (20), Anna (18), and Peter (8). Born on September 30, 1969, in Washington, D.C., to Joseph and Carole (Scharf) Fox, Paul was the youngest of six children. He grew up in the Old Farm neighborhood of Rockville, Maryland and spent much of his time trying to keep up with his active brothers and sisters. During summers, Paul cherished the time spent with his family at Bethany Beach, Delaware, and sailing at Camp Seagull in North Carolina. During his childhood, he developed a lifelong passion for military history, airplanes, and mountain biking. Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Science from the University of Maryland in 1993. He began his career in 1994 as a Civilian Computer Network Engineer for the Department of the Navy. In 2000, he founded Security Fox, a cybersecurity product company. Paul was recruited by the White House in 2003 as an IT Computer Security Specialist within the Executive Office of the President. After leaving the White House, Paul worked for Microsoft Corporation for ten years as part of its Architect Consulting Services team. In 2018, he joined Twistlock, a cloud-based network security company (later acquired by Palo Alto Networks) as a Solutions Architect and Product Line Manager. Throughout his career, Paul formed enduring friendships with his colleagues and never turned down the chance for an after-work drink. Paul was known for his quick wit and great sense of humor. He had a passion for traveling and discovering off-the-beaten-path historical sites, hidden gem restaurants, air and space museums, and whiskey bars. Paul took pride in his expertise in crafting the perfect Old-Fashioned cocktail. His secret: using rye whiskey and washing the ice! Paul’s true passion was being a devoted husband and father. Paul and Rita met in 1997, on his very first day in San Diego. He had left the East Coast to work for the Department of the Navy. In a serendipitous government paperwork mix-up, he joined Integrated Systems Control until his government job was ready, where Rita was working as an administrative assistant while attending college. Within a few months of dating, Paul was completely absorbed into Rita’s traditional Sicilian family. Soon, he was dipping biscotti into his espresso and eating sfincione. Paul spent most of his free time with his family, on many adventurous excursions such as two cross-country road trips, visiting 25 national parks, waterskiing on the Colorado River and touring Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It was important to Paul to spend time with each of his three children individually, developing memories and special bonds. He and his oldest child, Catherine, often hiked and mountain biked together, and Paul always cheered her on at her sporting events. With Anna, his middle child, he was always willing to get smoothies and run errands, and he spent countless hours at her softball games. He was involved with his son Peter’s school, St. Therese Academy, as part of the Dad’s Pit Crew. He flipped pancakes at the Pancake Breakfast, cooked burgers at Movie Night and drank many beers with the other dads. Together they enjoyed hiking, fishing, and trips to airplane museums. Paul and Rita enjoyed entertaining and laughing together. They frequently invited friends and family to their home and always looked forward to hosting holidays. They would work together as a team with Rita cooking and Paul crafting cocktails for guests. Paul and Rita’s favorite date night was dinner followed by a comedy show. They had a similar sense of humor and raised their kids around laughter and love. Paul’s extended family will fondly remember him gluing together model replicas of military aircraft and ships in his workshop, launching rockets, and flying radio-controlled airplanes. Along with his wife Rita and children, Paul is survived by his mother, Carole; his siblings John (Suzi), Bill (Andrea), Dan (Patti), Mary (Ron), and Lucy (Boban); his in-laws Pete and Rosalia Piraino; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Fox.