FITZPATRICK, John Joseph "Joe" 1915 - 2014

FITZPATRICK, DONAHUE, KUNZ, MCCLARY, DIMITROS, NEIBAUER, REGER

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 1/1/2018 at 00:14:40

John Joseph ”Joe” Fitzpatrick, 98, of Good Shepherd Nursing Home, died Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014, under Hospice care at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, at Epiphany Parish-St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 302 Fifth St. S.E., Mason City, with the Rev. Rodney Allers celebrating. Burial will be in the Bohemian Cemetery, Plymouth.

A visitation with a public viewing will be held Friday, Feb. 7, 2014, from 5 to 7 p.m., where a Knights of Columbus Rosary will be recited at 5 p.m. at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City.

Memorials may be directed to John Joseph Fitzpatrick Memorial. The family will be dividing memorials among Joe’s charities of choice.

John Joseph Fitzpatrick was born Oct. 31, 1915, in Emmetsburg, the oldest of six children of Edward Thomas and Geneiva Cecelia (Donahue) Fitzpatrick. Joe attended school in Emmetsburg and served in the U.S. Army in WWII. He was united in marriage to Edna Lucy Kunz on Dec. 31, 1946. They were blessed with two children.

Joe’s passion was driving, for work and pleasure, beginning with driving a truck for his uncle at the age of 10. In 1947 after moving to Mason City he drove much of his career, until his “first retirement” from Deckers/Armour of Mason City. He then continued driving for 3-M and Michaelsen truck lines. Joe finally “fully retired” after driving a transit bus for the city of Mason City for 19 years.

During his WWII service in the Army, Joe drove trucks with an artillery unit. He also operated amphibious “ducks” delivering troops and supplies from ship to shore. He also served as driver to various Army officers. He spent 30 months overseas in the Aleutian Islands and the Philippines.

Joe loved spending time with family and visiting with friends. He was a faithful follower of his children’s and grandchildren’s music and athletic events. He was always ready to lend a hand whenever and however his family needed him.

Joe was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, VFW, and the Knights of Columbus.

Joe is survived by his daughter, Carol McClary; son, Michael Fitzpatrick; daughter-in-law, Sheryl Fitzpatrick; grandchildren, Bryce (Suzanne) Fitzpatrick, Tara (Phillip) Dimitros and Kyle Fitzpatrick and his great-grandchildren, Cullen, Gabriel, and Kian.

He is preceded in death by his wife, his parents, and siblings, Ethel Neibauer, Edward Eugene Fitzpatrick, Donald Fitzpatrick, Rachel Reger, and infant sister, Mary Jean Fitzpatrick, and most recently his son-in-law Norman McClary.

Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E., Mason City, 641-423-2372, ColonialChapels.com.