John Thomas Fitzgibbon of Greensboro, NC, passed away on July 6, 2022, at the age of 92. He was born in Cleveland, OH, to the late John Thomas Fitzgibbon and Loretta Marie Righter. As a youth, John also lived in Henderson, NV, and Vancouver, WA. Shortly after his high school graduation, John enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a Distinguished Military Graduate of Infantry Officer Candidate School. While stationed at Fort Benning, John met his future wife, Ruth, on a blind date arranged by his company commander, Ruth’s brother-in-law. In 1953, he separated from the service and then enrolled at the University of Alabama. While students at the University, John and Ruth married in 1955. Upon completing his undergraduate degree in accounting, John joined the audit staff of Arthur Andersen & Co. and was admitted to the partnership in 1967. Before retiring from Andersen in 1988, John completed his master’s degree from the University of South Florida and then joined the accounting faculty for five years.
Throughout his long career as a CPA, John was known for his integrity, wisdom and attention to detail. He exemplified Arthur Andersen’s motto of “think straight, talk straight.” These professional traits also shaped John as a father, who expected both honesty and diligence from his children. In addition, he was extremely humble and quite frugal. Though generous to his family and others, he spent little on himself. Lovingly nicknamed “El Cheapo” by his children, John took great pride in finding an inexpensive product to accomplish a task. After his retirement, John and Ruth lived for many years in Linville, NC, and enjoyed their time there, along with many trips to the beach.
He is survived by his daughter, Susan F. Shumaker (Bradley) of Greensboro, NC; his son, J. Thomas Fitzgibbon, Jr., of Birmingham, AL; and his grandchildren, John Hutchins Wheless and Whitley Shumaker Nichelson (Michael). John was preceded in death by his beloved wife Ruth of 66 years, his daughter-in-law Susan Holley Fitzgibbon, and his brother James Kenneth Fitzgibbon.
A memorial service will be held at the Well-Spring Virginia Somerville Sutton Theatre on July 18, 2022 at 4 pm, with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Cone Health Congregational Nursing Program, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Well-Spring Benevolence Assistance Fund, or to the donor’s preferred charitable organization. The family would especially like to thank the staff at Well-Spring for their loving care and support over the last seven years.
Memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com for the Fitzgibbon family.
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