ANDOVER, John P. “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, 92, a resident of Andover, Massachusetts for over 50 years passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, January 25, 2017, at Merrimack Valley Hospice House surrounded by his family.
Born on June 22, 1924 in Malden, MA, John was the son of the late Joseph and Annie (Nangle) Fitzpatrick. He attended Malden public schools and graduated from Malden High School in 1941. He worked at Shawmut Bank in Boston until he joined the Army in July 1942. As a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne, he participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy. He was awarded the Bronze Star, along with the entire 101st, for the extraordinary heroism and gallantry they exhibited in the defense of Bastogne, part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. When the war was over, he returned to Shawmut Bank where he was trained to be a teller by Hilda M. Roberts. They married on November 11, 1948.
In 1951, John started auditing savings banks throughout Massachusetts with Francis P. Kirk and Company. Ten years later, he had one last opportunity to take the very difficult CPA exam without having a college degree. He took one month off from work and devoted his full time to studying. In November 1961, he passed the exam. In 1962, he was licensed as a certified public accountant. In 1964, he began work at Essex Savings Bank and he moved his family from Melrose to Andover the following year. John was elected bank president in 1974. Along with increasing the bank size by building more branches, he installed the first ATM in Andover at the Shawsheen Plaza branch of the bank. He was a well-respected bank president who facilitated the transition from Essex Broadway Savings Bank to the publicly owned bank called First Essex Savings. He proudly served in this role for 15 years before retiring in 1989.
John enjoyed spending time at Old Orchard Beach, skiing at various ski slopes in New England and Canada, researching his family history, and watching baseball and football. He loved music and could often be heard singing or playing his harmonica. Mostly, he loved spending time with family – who he raised on laughter, history and spelling quizzes, and good desserts, especially chocolate.
John is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Hilda M. (Roberts) Fitzpatrick, and his brothers Joseph, Francis, and James. He is survived by his six children: Joanne Dufton of Jacksonville, FL; Brian and his wife Grace of Alamogordo, NM; Douglas of Ipswich, MA; Linda and her husband Frank Shadeed of Lawrence, MA; Carol and her husband Joseph Hepworth of Chester, MA; Dr. Sandra Fitzpatrick-Amodie of Syracuse, NY; his sister-in-law Lorraine Fitzpatrick; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
His Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Robert Bellarmine Church, 198 Haggett's Pond Road, Andover on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at 10:30 AM. Relatives and friends are most welcome to attend. Calling hours will be held in the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street, Andover on Friday, January 27, 2017, from 4 to 8 PM. Interment will be in the West Parish Garden Cemetery in Andover. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Merrimack Valley Hospice House, 360 North Avenue, Haverhill, MA 01830. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.