Edward Fitzgerald Obituary

Fitzy,
Its had for me to put into words what you have meant to our family. We are richer for having met you, and having been under your care. We will truly miss you.

Always,
Jamie, Wanda, and Nancy

Dearest Kim,

I am deeply sorry for the loss of your husband and the ordeal that your family has gone thru. I lift you all in prayer and ask your grief be as gentle as possible. I love you and am sending hugs.

XO, Holly Reynolds

Alison,

I heard the news via Heather. I know it has been years since we worked at B&N together but I wanted to extend my sympathy to you and your family.

I was so shocked and saddened to hear what happened. You are in my thoughts.

Kim, I hold you up to the Lord that He may keep you in the palm of His hand and show you the way. You & Fitz were so good to me when I lived in CS & you are forever in my heart. Love you,
Mary

Kim, Ali, and Ross,
I have prayed for your healing in this time of loss for your family. The depth of your tragedy cannot be spoken in words. I have replayed in my mind so many of our times together when I took care of the kids after school- running errands, cooking, and playing with Alison. Even the simple things like seeing your father's jolly smile as he would come home and see what was for dinner. He was always teasing the kids from the moment he came in the door. I am deeply saddened for all of you and pray for you each day.

I am grateful for the skillful way Dr. Fitzgerald did surgery on me multiple times but even more for his gentle, humerous way of communicating truth with his patients. Please know we are praying for all of you in his family!! He will be missed!!

I am greatly saddened by the loss of Dr. Fitz. I was a patient of his at Front Range Orthopaedic for several years. He was definitely the kindest doctor I have ever met. He really felt bad about the medical problems I had. My heartfelt prayers go out to his family at this sad time. At least they don't have to wonder where he is now!! There is a very bright star shining from heaven.

Dr. Fitz,
While you were never able to lure me away from "those guys" over at CSOG, you still managed to teach me so much about medicine, taking pride in being Irish, and my duty to serve those in need. God Bless you and the entire Fitzgerald family during this time of tragedy. The Colorado Springs medical community has lost a gifted surgeon, and and even greater man.

last year I broke my ankle and was
fortunate to be under the care of Dr.
fitz.
the break required placement of hardware.
when I performed my therapy properly he exclaimed "you are my star" ...truly he was the "star".
my thoughts are with all the family.

My name is Lee Ann Marshall, and I worked with Dr Fitzgerald on 4East at St. Francis Hospital for many years. Kim was also the director of Mi Skool (pre-school) which our daughter, Heather, attended back in 1980. I was so saddened to hear of Dr Fitzgerald's passing. Please accept my sincerest condolences.

My deepest sympathy and prayers go out to his family. He was a passionate doctor and a kind, giving soul. Such a great loss to our community and our lives. I knew him for over 25 years.
Cynthia Jordan NP

Hi Ali and Ross and Mary - Mom, Tim, and I send our love. So does Jeanie (Tim's wife) and Ethan (my hubby whom you've met). Please hug Cathy and Erica for us all. Just lots of love from us all - thinking of you every day.

I am so very sorry for your loss. I also grew up with Alison from elementary through high school graduation. Know that there are so many people out here thinking and praying for you. My heart goes out to you in your time of need.

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever. Our love and prayers are with today.

I was an 18 year old high school athlete when I met Dr. Fitz after a swimming accident. Our meeting was in the ER in old Penrose Community Hospital. He was called in after the initial ortho looked at the x-rays. I remember laying there on the stretcher, having him look at the x-rays, and utter, as my 6 yr old says, a "bad" word. A fractured neck was the diagnosis. He was a new doctor to the Springs in early 1979, recently arrived from the Mayo Clinic, and the only doctor in Colorado Springs experienced with Halo traction.

He had to dig through basements of the local hospitals to find the pieces of the Halo. I remember him holding my head, and neck straight while I became sick from the pain medications they gave me when I arrived in the hospital.

A hockey playing doctor, very cool for an 18 year old high school senior. A down to earth doctor who was honest, compassionate, caring, and a "real" person. He confessed he had recently quit smoking, told me how much he loved living in Colorado, and asked about my life.

without Dr. Fitz, I'm afraid that I wouldn't have had a normal life, and his skill as a doctor ensured that I would have few problems. I'll always have the scar, and I'll proudly wear it as a reminder to the care of Dr. Fitz.

God Bless you and your family! We'll miss you.....

Dr. Fitzgeralsd was a very caring person. He fixed my lag and my ankle.I was very lucky to have him as my Doctor. Audrey Miera-Martinez

His job was finished here. I will miss him dearly. Fitzi wasnt just a surgeon for me and my family, he was a welcomed smile, a laugh and a good joke wherever I ran into him. He always had a hug and a smile. May our Heavenly Father give you the strength and understanding to get through the pain and the loss. My Deepest Sympathy

Dr. Fitz operated on my left foot back in 1985 so that I could continue playing sports. He always had a joke to ease the tension and made me feel comfortable before and after my surgery. A few years later in 1991 I needed another surgery while playing basketball at the University of Southern California and the university Dr. asked who did my first surgery, and after answering Dr. Fitz they told me to wait till I could see him because I could not get better treatment anywhere. Thx Doc, you will never be forgotten.

My deepest sympathy to the family of Dr. Fitzgerald. He was one of the finest and most compassionate doctors I have ever known. I have never forgotten the kindness he showed my mother and me and never will. His smile and sense of humor were a delight. His loss willl be felt by many,he was one of the people that truly made a difference in the world.
Darlene Hartford

My deepest condolences to your family. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

1983: It was love at first sight, this gentle man leaning forward, intently listening to the details of my husband’s accident. Many, many operations have followed, not all performed by Dr. Fitzgerald, but ALL overseen by him.

Over the years I’ve told the story many times of how mesmerizing it was to watch “Fitzy” bend down to retrieve the sneaker from the floor. He loosened the shoelace and gently guided my struggling husbands badly damaged foot into its interior. Adjusting the tongue, he slowly and tenderly pulled each cord just snug enough to secure the shoe. To think of this beautifully talented man, humbling himself on one knee before his patient, touching another's pain with such compassion can only be compared to Jesus washing the feet of his apostles.

It is said “The pathway to “greatness” is not by self-assertion; it is through service”; and Dr. Fitzgerald had the willingness to be used in the service of something greater. He understood suffering as it was his suffering. Dr. Fitzgerald was the kindest, most considerate and loving man I’ve ever had the opportunity of knowing.

Laurenzo Coleman said it best when he wrote: I am longtime patient of Dr. Fitzgerald. He was like a father to me. I loved this man. I trusted him with my life. His smile and the talks we had will be greatly missed beyond words. The world has lost a great man. I will forever remember him. He gave so much to others. He was not only the greatest Dr. I have ever known. He was the best friend a man can ever have the honor of knowing.

May the Fitzgerald Family find peace knowing “Fitzy” touched so many lives and how VERY MUCH he was LOVED.

With out deepest sympathy, The Hernandez-Coleman Family

I had only seen Dr. Fitz twice. But In those two times I knew He was going to be a very special person in my life. My heart goes out to the family. He will be missed very much.

To Kim and the family - We are so sorry for your tragic loss. Our thoughts are with you.

Dr. Fitzy was a joy to have in our OR. He had a million fascinating stories and he was a wealth of information. He loved to talk about religious history and was kind and generous to each of us. Dr. Fitz truly cared about his patients and their well being. We will miss his presence in our OR very much. He's storytelling with the angels now.

I worked at his office in 2003. 'Fitzi' was the kindest doctor that I had to schedule appointments for. He treated everyone with respect and did not have the 'God' complex many have. Fitzi will be missed so much.

My deepest condolences to your family. I grew up with Alison in JR and High School. God Bless.

Michelle Trujillo
Palmer HS Class of 1993

My husband had just come home from Iraq in April 2004 when we met Dr Fitzgerald. He suffered an ankle injury, among other things, during his tour. He was slated to go back to Iraq in October of the same year!
Dr Fitzgerald said, " there is no way he can return! He would not be able to carry his ruck sack or heavy Kevlar, nor would he be able to run if the need arose."
Based on this wonder Physician's word, he spared my husband the return. My husband and I are forever grateful to this man. My husband, as many who went to Iraq, was not stable enough mentally or physically to return in such a short time. I will never forget his smiling face as he wrote his recommendations to the Army doctor.....Thank you so much, Dr Fitzgerald. God bless you all during this tragic time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

I have had the great pleasure to work for Dr Fitzgerald for over 3 years. He was a delight to our practice and was a very caring Doctor. Our practice will not be the same without him.

WE WERE SO SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT A GREAT DOCTOR HAD PASSED AWAY.HE DID SURGERY ON MY LEFT ANKLE IN 1989 AND THEN WHEN MY HUSHAND AND I HAD AN CAR ACCIDENT HE WAS THERE HELPING US AGAIN, HE WILL TRUELY BE MISSED.TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS,CO-WORKER ARE PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.

I worked a little bit with Dr. Fitz at AIM care in the early 90s. He was so fun and friendly and really a good person to be with. My entire family loved and respected him. I am so very sorry for your loss.

Condolences to your family for your immense loss of your loved one.

I met Dr. Fitzgerald after an accident. He “just happened” to be the on-call doctor. That was the beginning of the many blessings that I received from this “gentle” man. My injury was not on an ankle or foot (which I later learned were his specialty areas) however his skill was incredible as he performed miracles to repair what I had damaged. He always took time to not only treat the injury but more importantly treat me overall patient. This wonderful physician made a life long positive impact on my life and I will forever remember his kindness, gentleness and wonderful overall compassion.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. “Fitz” will always have a special place in my heart. He had such a wonderfully dry sense of humor; at times he had a gruff exterior, but inside was a heart of gold. I would like to share a story. I have been a physical therapist in town since the late 70's. I vividly remember our first meeting. I was just a young and fairly shy PT. I introduced myself to him and asked if I might speak with him about a patient that was here in the hospital. While severely frowning, he said “So you are a physical therapist. I hate physical therapists!”...a long pause ensued..."The PT students would always beat the Med students playing softball.” I appreciated his sense of humor and how he really cared about his patients. He will be missed.