Thomas Eric Fitzsimmons

1931 - 2013

Thomas Eric Fitzsimmons ("Eric"), 82 of Granby, Connecticut, died on December 11, 2013 peacefully at Hartford Hospital surrounded and loved by his family. He was born on August 13, 1931 in Liverpool, England. He was preceded in life by his parents Dorothy Eveline (Tomlinson) Fitzsimmons and John Fitzsimmons as well as his sister, Joan Fishwick; her husband Thomas Fishwick, and his brother Roy Fitzsimmons. He is survived by his three children and their families; Marc and Tracey Fitzsimmons (Fayetteville, NC and Little Rock, AR), children Geoffrey and Ethan; Belinda and Gary Bullock (Sterling, VA), children Madeline and Derek; and James Fitzsimmons (Granby, CT). Eric attended de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School then located in Hatfield, Hertfordshire graduating in 1955. On August 13, 1955, at St. Mary Magdalene Parish of Hatfield Hyde, Welwyn Garden City, Herts he married Elizabeth Aitken Robertson "Bobbie" Miller of Welwyn Garden City. The Couple immigrated to Toronto, Canada soon after. Eric worked for de Havilland Canada in Toronto, Ontario as a Mechanical Engineer. He moved his family to Granby, Connecticut in 1968 where he would spend the rest of his life. In the US, he worked for Hamilton Standard in Windsor Locks before spending 20 plus years before he retired from Combustion Engineering/ABB working on the companies Nuclear Power program. During this period Eric also earned his MBA from the University of Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, the Granby Land Trust or Granby Community Fund. Eric donated his body to the University Of Connecticut Medical Center. A Memorial Service is being planned for this coming spring.