Fitzgerald, Joseph Terrence
January 26, 1922 - December 31, 2004
Joe Fitzgerald, 82, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox on December 31, 2004 following a lengthy illness.
Joe was predeceased by his beloved wife, Norah, in 1983; and by his brothers: Clarence and Dennis; and by sister Catherine Trebett. He is survived by daughter Sharon (Vic) Gurney; son Kevin (Carrie); along with grandchildren: Jeff, Scott and Lisa Gurney, and Dawn and Danny Fitzgerald. Also surviving are brothers: Claude, Ronnie, John, Brian, Gerry; sister Fay Clifford; as well as, many nieces and nephews.
Joe was born in Comox to parents Reginald and Edith Fitzgerald on January 26, 1922 and lived primarily in the Courtenay area his entire life. As a young man, Joe worked on local projects like the cribbing on the Courtenay River, the wharves both at Comox and in the Courtenay Slough and many residential projects before starting work in the logging industry. He was working in logging camps in the Queen Charlotte Islands before joining the Navy during WWII where he served on the escort ships crossing the Atlantic.
After the war, Joe met and, in 1950, married Norah Jones. He and brother John had started Fitzgerald Bros. Logging, working on Texada Island from 1949 until 1961. Joe then returned to carpentry constructing several homes in the Courtenay area and was a true master at his trade. Rarely idle, he was a devoted family man who lived for the outdoors, hunting, fishing and gardening in his leisure time.
In his later years, Joe enjoyed his Thursday night beer with the gang at the Arbutus, often sharing the bounties of his garden and bringing dahlias for the ‘girls’. Loved and respected for his many talents and open honest ways, Joe will be missed by many who knew him.
A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January 6, 2005 at 1:00 pm from Piercy’s Funeral Home with Pastor Fred Massey officiating.