Richard "Dick" Fitzsimmons

1941 - 2022

Richard 'Dick' Fitzsimmons, 81

FULLERTON - Richard "Dick" Lee Fitzsimmons, 81, of Fullerton, passed away peacefully Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, surrounded by his loving family at Bryan West Medical Center in Lincoln.

Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids with the Rev. Mark Tomasiewicz officiating. Burial of ashes will follow in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Primrose.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, a rosary service will follow at 7. Palmer-Santin Funeral Home is serving the family.

Dick was born June 28, 1941, to William and Pearl (Kershaw) Fitzsimmons on the family farm west of Cedar Rapids. He attended elementary country school and Cedar Rapids High School. He married Maurine Louise Steffes on June 14, 1959, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids.

Dick worked on the Fitzsimmons family farm until they moved to Grand Island. He then worked at the ordnance plant building bombs and was on the ambulance crew. He also worked for the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

In the early 1970s, he moved his family to Fullerton, taking a job at Schweitz Dairy Equipment. In 1972, he moved back to the family farm near Cedar Rapids, fulfilling his passion of being a full-time farmer and dairyman. Upon retirement from farming in 2000, he moved to Primrose. He worked part-time at PPK Trucking in Primrose. He also drove a truck for Warner and Paulson Asphalting.

Dick was an excellent gun marksman and loved his blue rock shooting clubs. He loved shooting up pumpkins with his grandchildren and going coyote hunting. He was a great family historian. He enjoyed riding his motorcycles and repairing them. He was a voracious reader and constantly read history books and western books.

He loved taking his boats out and cruising around Calamus Reservoir. On weekends, he would take his family up to the Steffes' family cabin at Lake Ericson. He also loved to play cards every Tuesday with his group of retired friends in Fullerton. He enjoyed carpentry work on the side and working with his hands.

He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Maurine; a daughter, Rebecca (Harry) Hillman of Villa Ridge, Mo.; a son, Patrick (Natalie) Fitzsimmons of St. Edward; daughter-in-law, Beverly Fitzsimmons of Grand Island; grandchildren, Erik (Rachel) Fitzsimmons of Yulee, Fla., Tonya Fitzsimmons of Omaha, Bryan Fitzsimmons and friend, Katie Mayes, of Grand Island, Sean Fitzsimmons and friend, Caitlin French, of Columbia Heights, Minn., Bradly Fitzsimmons and friend, Brianna Strong, of St. Edward, and Nathan Fitzsimmons; two great-grandchildren, Lillian and Tristan; his step-grandchildren, Elena (Jay) Hausmann, Harry Hillman, and Nancy Hillman; two sisters, Mary Jane DeMuth Hansen and Mickey Jo Fashnacht; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son, Michael Fitzsimmons; his parents; a brother, William Fitzsimmons; a sister, Lois Olson; his in-laws, John and Ona Steffes; brothers and sisters-in-law, Karen and Arnie Boyd, Carolyn Walker, Doug Riedy, Gene DeMuth, and Ken Fastnacht; and other nieces and nephews.