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Patrick Fitzgerald Obituary

Patrick Joseph (Pat) Fitzgerald died peacefully on September 2, Tucson, AZ. Born June 8, 1919 in Imperial, NE to P.J. Fitzgerald IV and Jennie Hoffmeister Fitzgerald, he moved to Denver when he was five. Pat attended Colorado College in Colorado Springs where he was a student body president, a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and selected to All Rocky Mountain teams in both basketball and baseball. Pat signed with the St. Louis Cardinals but the war intervened and he enlisted in the army after graduation. He served with the 10th Mountain Division and was wounded in Italy. Pat and his two brothers, all captains, returned safely after the war. On June 7, 1944, Pat married Shirley Ann Rice of Bisbee, AZ. They settled in Colorado Springs where Pat worked in the automobile business for many years at Perkins Motors, Phil Winslow VW and partnered in his own dealerships with Chet Peebler and Jim Ross. Commitment to honesty and personal service were his trademarks. Pat and Shirley raised three children before moving to Durango, CO where they owned a hay farm south of Bayfield. They moved to Tucson in 1987. Pat enjoyed skiing, fly fishing and golf. He and Shirley enjoyed traveling and spent time in Mexico. Pat delighted in story telling. In 1991 he wrote an memoirs Just an Ordinary Man, a book treasured by family and friends. Shirley, his beloved wife of 56 years, preceded Pat in death. He is survived by his children: Ann (Jim) Larrabee of Tucson, Patrick "Rick" (Paula) Fitzgerald of Longmont, CO., and Jenelle (Mark) Van Brunt of Tempe, AZ.; ten grandchildren; four great grandchildren; and his sister-in-law, Eleanor Rice Feeney of Tucson. Services will be held at Grace St. Paul Episcopal Church in Tucson (2331 E. Adams) at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 5. Donations in his memory may be made to the Salvation Army, 7901 East Scarlett, Tucson, AZ, 85710.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Gazette on Sep. 8, 2006.

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