FRANKLIN ---- Edward Henry Fitzgerald, Jr. passed peacefully at age 93, on Friday, January 9, 2024 with his family by his side.
Born on December 22, 1930, he was the son of the late Helen Bradley Fitzgerald and Edward H. Fitzgerald, Sr. of Medford, Massachusetts.
Eddie Fitz grew up in Medford, MA, served as an altar boy, attended Saint Clements Catholic school, and joined the Navy at age 19. Deployed on the USS Salem, he coached boxers and established and edited the ship’s newspaper. After his service he worked at Pinkerton Detective Agency and later as a tax examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Born busy, Ed lived his life as an athlete, coach, referee and champion of youth sports. He danced, boxed, played hockey, skied, rode horses and Harleys. A natural teacher, he coached Little League, taught his own kids to ride, ski, hike and camp. He led his young family and raucous cousins on late winter expeditions up the grueling trail to camp and ski the headwall of Mt Washington.
As an amateur boxer he was named Welterweight Champion with a record of 19-1. He beat Paul Pender twice (Pender went on to become the middleweight champion of the world), and “Stormin Norman” Hayes, a street-tough prizefighter from Roxbury.
An esteemed Referee for 50 years, Eddie was known for protecting his athletes: “You can’t call a fight too early but you can call it too late”. At the Golden Gloves in Lowell in 1988, an epic brawl broke out when he called the fight after numerous infractions on both sides; the final straw when DeGrandis swore at him. Instantly the fight was called; Scully won and all hell broke loose. Ed had to be escorted out for his safety. Ed got a kick out of being cast as an extra in the movie The Departed, and as the announcer in The Fighter; look for him 10 minutes in.
As a teen after WW2, he gathered a group of friends at White Horse Beach in Plymouth, grabbed a nearby dingy and rowed out to the large rock jutting out of the ocean to paint the American Flag. The rock became known as Flag Rock.
Ed was predeceased by his beloved sisters Helen Wedge and Joan Kennedy.
He is survived by his wife Mary Lou Shields of Arlington, MA, former wife Virginia (Lavelli) Fitzgerald Lovett, of Meredith, NH, and the late Roberta Carrol of Somerville, MA, his daughter Lisa and husband Scott Robinson, DVM of Gilmanton, NH, son Brad Fitzgerald and Debbie Fitzgerald of Laconia, NH, son Ted and Tina Fitzgerald of Northfield, NH, son Scott and Josianne Fitzgerald of Meredith, NH, stepson Christopher and Suzanne Shields of Watertown, MA, stepdaughter Elizabeth Shields and Russell Geer of Dorchester, MA, grandchildren Kayla Raphael of Broomfield, CO, Hailey Groleau and Kevin of Gilford, NH, Sidney Chmielewski and Chris of Northfield, NH, Michael Fitzgerald of NY,NY, Andreina Fitzgerald of Blacksburg, VA, Sierra Rose Geer of Quincy, MA and great-grandchildren Waylon Groleau, Theo Groleau and Lincoln Chmielewsky, as well as many nieces and nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to his memorial scholarship fund in Ed’s name. C/O Brad Fitzgerald, 1462 Old North Main St., Laconia, NH 03246.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Lexington VFW, 2 Hayes Road, Lexington, MA, on Sunday, January 28, 2024, from 12-4 pm.
Burial will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden MA; the family plot originating in 1905, TBA.
A second memorial celebration will take place at White Horse Beach, Plymouth, MA in late spring, in conjunction with Ring 4 Boston. TBA.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements.