Obituary of Earl Fowler Hicks

Earl Fowler Hicks, 83, of Gloucester, Virginia, formerly of Freehold, passed away in Gloucester on June 16, 2007. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 17, 1923 he was the son of Josephine Cummins and Earl Fowler Hicks, Sr. of Kansas City, Missouri. He served in both World War II and the Korean conflict, attaining the rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Upon leaving the military, he performed demolition work for the National Forestry Service and told colorful tales of his adventures in the wilderness for many years afterward. From the 1950’s until he retired in 1980, he worked as an electronics technician at Fort Monmouth. He was a member of the teams that developed the TIROS weather satellite and the Vanguard rocket during the early years of the space program. After retiring to Gloucester, Virginia Mr. Hicks served as a lector at the Church of St. Therese for many years. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Helen Clancy Hicks; a brother, S.T. Hicks, and sister-in-law, Geraldine Hicks of San Antonio, Texas; and sister-in-law Elizabeth Clancy and brothers-in-law Edward and Joseph Clancy, Freehold. He is survived by a daughter, Hilarie Hicks, Gloucester, Virginia; a brother, Robert Lee Hicks, San Antonio, Texas; two sisters-in-law, Margaret Clancy, Freehold and Mary Clancy, New Egypt; and three generations of nieces and nephews in New Jersey, Delaware, and Texas. The viewing will be held at the Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center Street, Freehold on Thursday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated at St. Rose of Lima Church, Freehold at 11:00 a.m. where he was married 54 years ago. The interment will follow at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold.