Kevin Lee Fitzsimmons

Kevin Fitzsimmons was born on 04/24/1951, to Cleve and Margaret June Fitzsimmons in Minneapolis, MN. Kevin was the sixth child born to the family and in a manner that we are sure says something about his personality, he was the sixth to pass away. He passed on 02/04/2025 at the age of 73.
Kevin worked for many years as a supervisor for J-Mark making running boards for pick up trucks. He finished his career working with his wife at Cantel Medical, retiring at the age of 65.
Kevin loved the outdoors and walking barefoot as much as possible, even in the winter. He enjoyed fishing, duck hunting, watching the sunset and lounging by the lake. His favorite places to be were at his cabin on Mille Lacs lake and by his wife's side. He had a deep love for chocolate, the Vikings, gardening, and his family, both blood related and his chosen family.
If you happened to meet him at any of these activities you might as well make yourself comfortable because you were about to be in for a chat. No matter who you were, Kevin was inclined to start a conversation with you and let it wander through any topic that came up.
Kevin's kids remember him for his generosity. If he had something and you complimented him on it, that items was now yours. His wife Sharon used to get frustrated at these antics but eventually she grew to love and accept this part of his personality.
Kevin loved to sing to his wife in the privacy of his own home. He could often be found in the den with headphones on singing country songs.
Another great pleasure in Kevin's life was going to various restaurants for dinner. He would rotate through his favorites at least twice a week. Being the friendly person he was, he often became friendly with the wait staff, and would come to know about their families and personal lives. With his love of restaurants, he was also a big fan of the family birthday dinner. Each of us were to choose a restaurant and we would all gather for dinner. Since all our birthdays are slightly spread throughout the year, we were guaranteed a birthday dinner at least every other month.
He also enjoyed catching up with his high school classmates at Pizza Ranch each month. He would always call or comment, "Went to the luncheon, we had a great time."
Kevin loved the Minnesota State Fair, going with his family on the first Friday. They would walk the fair multiple times over and always had to stop in Heritage Square for a beer, or more recently at the Horticulture building for a flight. It was always a competition to see who got the best flavors and who got the worst!
He loved fireworks, both watching them and setting them off. He always made sure to watch the fireworks display at the fair. If he knew you were at the fair and didn't wait for the fireworks, you had a lot of explaining to do! Every July 4th, we would have a family picnic at the cabin and watch the fireworks as we batted away mosquitoes at the end of the dock.
Kevin's battle with ALS was brief, but valiant. He had a positive attitude until the end. He would often laugh at himself when his body no longer worked in the way it used to.
He smiled a lot and his family is happy to have spent the last few months of his life taking care of him and making cherished memories.
Kevin is survived by his wife Sharon, daughters JoRae (Tom) Atkins, Heather (Brett) Howe and Ben. Grandchildren Tom (Teddy), Kaidy, and Dan.
Preceded in death by daughter Christina (Tina), parents Cleve and Margaret June, brothers, Red, Lanny, Willard, Bruce, and sister Patricia.
Memorial Service will be held Wednesday February 12, from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. at Washburn McReavy Funeral Home, Crystal Lake Chapel and Cemetery 3816 Penn Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55412.
Kevin will be buried next to daughter Tina in the spring.
The family would like to thank Dr. Scott Colson at Voyage Health, the ALS Society, Adara Home Health, Cornerstone Caregiving, Mayo Clinic-Rochester and Optage Meals for their support. Sharon would like to thank Brian and Denise, Dan and Linda and Doyle and Karen for their lifelong friendship. We would also like to thank our employers, specifically our managers Glenn Schultz and Ron Warner for giving grace in our jobs to spend time with our dad. We thank all of you for all that you did.
Memorials preferred:
ALS Association
1919 University Ave W, Ste 175
St Paul, MN 55104
(Please add a note letting staff know the donations are made in Kevin's honor, to ensure they are processed without issue)