Brendan M. Fitzpatrick

Brendan M. Fitzpatrick, a former Hartford firefighter and beloved father, son and brother, died Aug. 24 in Hartford. He was 57. Born in Pontiac, Michigan, to Elizabeth E. and Thomas H. Fitzpatrick, Brendan moved with his family to Massachusetts and then to West Hartford, where they settled and he attended Conard High School. His career highlights included proudly serving for more than 14 years as a firefighter with the Hartford Fire Department, which he joined in 1993, and working most recently as a case management and recovery coach for Youth Challenge of CT in Hartford. Brendan took an interest in politics and pop culture. He wrote beautiful poetry and loved to read, but the art form he turned to most often was music. The Grateful Dead topped his list of favorite bands. Brendan also enjoyed watching movies, including horror films. A fan of the "Night of the Living Dead" series, he once entertained his family by sketching a plan to protect them in the event of a zombie invasion. His sense of humor endeared him to many. Brendan could lighten any gathering with his keen, sometimes irreverent wit, which at its core reflected an uncommon empathy for people, particularly those who have known struggle. In recent years, Brendan saw with an emerging sense of purpose how his desire to help people, coupled with his spiritual awareness and his experiences, could be used to guide others as they addressed their addictions. Above all, Brendan cherished being a father to his son, Aidan Fitzpatrick, and his daughter, Fiona Fitzpatrick, both of West Hartford. His capacity for being fully present with them was unsurpassed, and activities such as playing a board game or taking a walk could generate a memory that far outshone the moment's potential ordinariness. Simply, Brendan made his family, and untold friends and colleagues, feel loved. Besides his son, daughter and mother, survivors include his brother Kevin Fitzpatrick of Taichung, Taiwan, sisters Kate Fitzpatrick of West Hartford and Colleen Fitzpatrick and her husband Jeffrey Michelson of Simsbury, daughter-in-law Kylie (Hoang) Fitzpatrick of West Hartford and several loving cousins. Brendan was predeceased by his father, in 2010. A memorial service will be private. Memorial donations may be made to To Write Love on Her Arms, P.O. Box 2203, Melbourne, FL 32902, www.twloha.org, or Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery, 75 Charter Oak Ave., Building 1-305, Hartford, CT 06106, www.ccar.us. Molloy Funeral Home in West Hartford is handling the arrangements. Online memories and condolences may be left at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.