Joseph Edward Fitzgerald

1938 - 2024

Joseph Edward Fitzgerald
09/26/1938 - 07/23/2024
Joseph Edward Fitzgerald was born in 1938 in Hutchinson, Kansas, and moved with his family to the Bay Area in 1941 at the age of three. He grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, California, the youngest of five children, attending St. Patrick School in Oakland, St. Mary's College High School in Berkeley, and St. Mary's College in Moraga, where he graduated with a BS in psychology in 1966.
He met Ann Carbis through mutual friends in 1959, and they married at St. Jerome's in El Cerrito on July 25, 1964. In their sixty years of marriage, they raised a daughter, Madeleine, and three sons, Eamon, Neil, and Owen, and were blessed with grandchildren, who were the pride and delight of Joe's life. Joe's courage, love and true faith in God comforted and sustained his family and friends at the loss of his 16-year-old son, Owen, in 1990, and continues to inspire us still.
Through his thirty-year career in the postal service, he touched countless lives with his charm and empathy. At home, he built with Ann a loving foundation for his family, always selflessly supporting his wife and children's educations, careers, and diverse interests. A man of diverse interests himself, he read widely, traveled enthusiastically, enjoyed hunting and fishing, and was an avid music fan.
Joe was a devoted member of St. Mary Magdalen Parish, where he worshipped for the past 70 years, attending Mass, saying the Rosary, and following the advice of Blessed Father Solanus Casey to always, "Thank God Ahead of Time." He was full of gratitude to the very end. He died peacefully on July 23, 2024 with his family by his side.
Funeral Mass at St. Mary Magdalen (Berkeley) Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 10:00 am, followed by a reception in the Magdalen Hall. Burial at St. Dominic Cemetery in Benicia at 12:30 pm. All are welcome to attend. The Fitzgerald family would like to thank everyone for their love and support. Memorial donations may be made to Catholic Relief Services.