FITZGERALD, JOSEPH ANTHONY Joseph Anthony Fitzgerald, 85, husband of Patricia Fitzgerald, of Madison, Connecticut passed away on November 21 from long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Joseph was born on April 10, 1931 in Oakville, Connecticut to the late Timothy Fitzgerald and Anna Moore Fitzgerald. He attended and graduated from Watertown High School and American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts. After college, he served two years from 1954 to 1956 for the United States Army. He later earned his Master’s and 6th year degree from Fairfield University. Mr. Fitzgerald began his career in education in 1957 at J.M. Wright Tech in Stamford, CT teaching history. He left the classroom to work for the Connecticut Department of Education as the Bureau Chief of Youth Employment and Retraining for Vocational Education retiring in 1989. He married Patricia DeMaria in Riverside, CT in 1960. They moved to Madison in in 1966 and raised their 7 children. Joseph was a devoted husband and father who cherished time spent with family. He was a parishioner of Saint Margaret’s Catholic Church for 50 years as well as a friend of Bill W. for 30 years. After retirement Joe played golf five days a week which kept him healthy and active and sailed with his family on their sail boat. He also loved watching Notre Dame and Boston College Football and from December to March, Joe and his wife Pat watched every UConn Husky basketball game televised. Joe also challenged himself with a good crossword puzzle and could often be found sitting on the sun porch at his home working on it. However, he was most proud of his children’s accomplishments as swimmers, dancers, musicians, artists and scholars. Joseph will always be remembered for his gentle soul, generosity to those in need, humor, the twinkle in his eye and his dance moves. In addition to his wife Joseph is survived by and will be dearly missed by his daughters Allison Fitzgerald and her husband Bruce Hevly of Seattle, WA, Dawn Pyne and her husband Gregory of Dunwoody, GA, Kathleen Derry and her husband William of Niantic CT, Sara Fitzgerald of Fort Pierce, FL, Amy Starkey and her husband Matthew of Madison CT and by his sons Matthew Fitzgerald and his wife Michelle of Conyers, GA and Gregory Fitzgerald and his wife Ana of Swampscott, MA. In addition, he leaves 21 grandchildren, who he loved fiercely and talked about with tremendous pride. He also leaves many special nieces and nephews, cousins, friends, his sister in law Joan Fitzgerald, brother in law Edward Skelte and his wife’s brother and sister in law Anthony and Diane DeMaria. Joseph was also predeceased by his brothers Paul, Bill, Tom, Maurice and John Fitzgerald and his sisters Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Muriel Skelte. His family received family and friends on Friday, Nov. 26, at the Swan Funeral Home located at 825 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 27, at St. Margaret’s Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison. Burial will follow in West Cemetery, Madison CT. Donations in Joseph’s honor may be made to Hospice Vitas 56 Franklin Street, 4th floor Waterbury, CT 06706. For online tributes and condolences, please visit www.swanfuneralhomemadison.com