It is with a very heavy heart for us to share that our beloved son and brother, Jacob Fitz, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, February 18th. To say that Jacob was someone who was very loved and special to all is a tremendous understatement.
Jacob was very intellectually gifted at an early age. He was a voracious reader and life-long student. He loved being with his family, whether it was hiking in the mountains or skiing with his brother and sister. Jacob had an independent and free spirit nature, matched with a very sly smile and an equally dry sense of humor.
Jacob grew up in the Ann Arbor area and he was an Ann Arbor kid through and through, as he loved all of the diverse people and the unique culture that came with living there. He graduated from Washtenaw Community College with an Associate degree in Math and Science, with high honors. He continued his studies at The University of Michigan, where he excelled in science, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Biomolecular Chemistry, again with high honors.
Jacob weathered the Covid pandemic while at Michigan. To help stay in touch with others, he hosted a weekly video stream of the Sweet Retreat Student Baking club that he had founded. He also built and published a website that allowed people to play different games on-line with their friends. Jacob loved to leverage technology, and he built his first computer when he was eleven. He was excellent in on-line games and he could program in multiple computer languages. Jacob also loved music and played the piano, starting from when he was very young.
Jacob’s ultimate dream was to be doctor and to help others, and after graduating from Michigan, he began in earnest to prepare for medical school. During this time, Jacob worked as a medical scribe, a medical assistant, a clinical research assistant studying the aging process, and a math and science tutor at Washtenaw Community College. He loved to help others and he loved animals, which lead him to volunteer at both Mott Children’s Hospital and the Huron Valley Humane Society. Jacob spent his free time studying for the medical school admissions test, scoring in one of the top percentiles.
Jacob was also a fierce defender of those less fortunate and of racial equality, and he exposed it to all when prejudice would raise its ugly head, in spite of the repercussions that he knew he would face.
Jacob is survived by his parents Grant and Julie, his sister Amanda, his brother Matthew (Maren), his grandparents Eugene and Ellen, and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and numerous friends whom were very dear to him. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Edwin and Beverly Fitz.
As Jacob’s plan was to be a cardiologist, in lieu of flowers, you can honor him by donating to The University of Michigan CHC Directors’ Research Endowment fund, which fuels innovation in improving the outcomes and care for kids and adults with congenital heart disease. Checks may be made payable to “University of Michigan” and sent to 777 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., Suite 650, Ann Arbor, MI 48108. Please include “in memory of Jacob Alexander Fitz” in the memo line of the check or in an attached note. You may also call 734-764-6777 or visit the following link to make your gift:
https://give.communityfunded.com/o/michigan-medicine/i/memorials-and-tributes/s/jacob-alexander-fitz
A visitation will be held on Friday, February 24th from 4PM – 8PM at the Muehlig Funeral Home in Ann Arbor. The funeral will be on Saturday, February 25th at 1PM at Peace Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, with the gathering of family and friends starting at 12 noon.
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