January 11, 1942 – December 15, 2024
James Louis Fitzgerald, known to many as Jim, Jimmy, Dad, Papa Jim, or Uncle Jimmy, passed away peacefully at 82, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on a cold but clear winter’s day in Cleveland, Ohio, he entered the world with fair skin like “peaches and cream” and a family already in awe of him.
Jim’s life was filled with adventure, hard work, and an unwavering devotion to his family. As a boy, he made the front page of the Cleveland News when three Cub Scouts heroically rescued him after he got stuck on a fence—an early sign that his life would be full of good stories. He served in the U.S. Army, traveling across Europe and earning the rank of Specialist 4 before being honorably discharged.
After returning home, he worked on Iron Ore boats before settling into a long career with Southwestern Bell and Copperfield Liquor. He was a man of simple pleasures: collecting knives, coins, and “great deals,” sometimes from QVC and, once, from a guy in a parking lot selling “real” gold. (It wasn’t.) Jim’s humor, warmth, and knack for holding onto cherished memories—letters, photographs, cards—showed just how much his family meant to him.
Jim was the life of the party, the guy who never needed much but gave so much. He cheered for every team of every city he called home—from the Houston Oilers to the Cleveland Guardians—and never missed an opportunity to root for his kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. He even went white-water rafting once, though he made it clear afterward he’d never do it again.
Above all, Jim was a treasure to those who knew him. He is survived by his children; Mike Fitzgerald and daughter-in-law Mindy, Holly Walker, and Mary Reader and son-in-law Rodney Skinner; his nine grandchildren, Nick, Dana, Chris, Cecelia, Danielle, Ethan, Eva, Craig and Riley; great-grandchild Sienna; and siblings Sheila, Patrick, and Maryellen. He joins his parents, John and Mary Kathryn Fitzgerald, and his sister Margaret in peaceful rest.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Unity Spiritual Center, 23855 Detroit Road, Westlake, Ohio. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:15 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. A luncheon reception will follow.
