~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, DL Capt. C. ‘Pete’ FitzGerald
January 23, 1939 ~ June 13, 2017
Word has been received with the passing of Delta Golden Wings
member retired Delta pilot Captain Clifford Peter FitzGerald, age 78. Captain
FitzGerald joined Delta Air Lines 06-02-1969 and was based Atlanta at the time
of his retirement. Captain FitzGerald was widowed in February 2007 with the
passing of his wife Virginia Grace ‘Ginnie’. He had most recently resided at
356 Glenbrook Drive, Lake Worth FL 33462-1017. Services for
Captain FitzGerald will be conducted Thursday June 22nd with viewing the evening
prior, in Mattapoisett, MA....please see obituary or visit the funeral home
website for more information.
Condolences may be shared online at the funeral home website:
Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home entrusted of Mattapoisett
entrusted with arrangements...(508) 758-2292
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Life
legacy............................
Clifford Peter FitzGerald, 78, of Atlantis, FL and Mattapoisett, MA passed
away at his home on June 13, 2017, from natural causes.
Born in Newton, MA, the son of the late Helen (Carey) FitzGerald and John
Joseph FitzGerald, he attended Newton High School where he met the love of his
life, Ginnie Milott, on Christmas Eve. At Boston University, he was an
outstanding hockey player who became Captain of the team. In his honor, his
family created the Clifford P. FitzGerald Scholarship which is awarded annually
to a top rising junior or senior Terrier defenseman.
After graduating from Boston University in 1962, he and Ginnie were married
and young Peter headed off to pilot training at Craig Air Force Base near Selma,
Alabama as a Second Lieutenant. He went on to distinguish himself flying with
the Strategic Air Command as well as the Tactical Air Command in Plattsburgh,
NY, and Columbus, Ohio. During the Vietnam War, Captain FitzGerald flew more
than 100 missions over Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Flying the WC130-A out
of Udorn, Thailand and the Island of Guam, he was an integral part of a
then-classified “Weather Modification” program to create thunderstorms to
washout Vietcong supply routes like the Ho Chi Minh trail.
After two tours of Vietnam, Captain FitzGerald left active duty with the
Air Force in 1969, to fly for a new southern upstart company named Delta
Airlines. With a brief stint as an Engineer on the DC-8, he quickly progressed
to co-pilot of the DC-9, Boeing 727, and L-1011. He was then promoted to Captain
on the MD-80 and finally the Boeing 757/767. During his tenure with Delta, he
assumed increasing positions of responsibility in the Air Force Reserves which
culminated with him leading the Florida Civil Air Patrol and being promoted to
Colonel.
Throughout his over 20 years of military service, Colonel FitzGerald served
his country with honor and distinction. By the time he retired from the Air
Force in 1992, Colonel FitzGerald had been awarded numerous medals including the
Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal,
the Air Medal with oak leaf clusters, the Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Bronze
star for participating in over 29 campaigns, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
He then retired from Delta Airlines in 1995 to enjoy life as a full-time racing
aficionado, golfer, and summer time lobsterman.
Preceded in death by his wife Ginnie, survivors include two daughters,
Jacqueline “Lyn” Brown, and her husband Lawton, of McLean, VA, and Karen “Kira”
Langolf, of Atlantis, FL; one brother, Paul Carey FitzGerald and his wife Jane
of Sandy Hook, CT; and four grandchildren, Bradford FitzGerald Brown, Garrett
Lawton Brown, Carey Amelienne Brown, and Brigette Adrienne Langolf.
His Funeral will be held on Thursday, June 22nd at 9 AM from the
Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6,
Mattapoisett, followed by his Funeral Mass at St. Anthony's Church in at 10 AM.
Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, June 21st from 4-8 PM. Colonel FitzGerald
will be buried with military honors in St. Anthony's Cemetery. For directions
and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com
-----------------------
Wife Ginnie’s obituary................Virginia Grace "Ginnie"
(Milott) FitzGerald, 68, of Atlantis, FL and Mattapoisett died February 3, 2007
at home after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Newton, MA, the daughter
of the late Adrienne (Messier) Milott and Paul E. Milott, Sr. She attended
Newton High School where she met the dashing young captain of the hockey team on
a blind date on Christmas Eve. Her high school sweetheart became her devoted
husband of 45 years, Clifford Peter FitzGerald. She received her BA in Economics
from Regis College in 1961 followed by her Masters of Arts in Education from
Boston State College in 1962. She also taught special education students in the
Needham School System.
After marriage, she enjoyed the life of a military wife living in Selma, Alabama; Plattsburg, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and, the island of Guam. In 1969, the family moved to Miami, Florida. After several years as a homemaker, Mrs. FitzGerald returned to teaching at Pinewood Acres School and then became a school administrator. In 1978, the family moved to Palm Beach County. Mrs. FitzGerald became a volunteer at J.F.K. Hospital in Atlantis, FL and later retired as Director of Volunteers. Mrs. FitzGerald and her family have been summer residents of Mattapoisett since 1950. Surviving Hurricane Carol prompted her to write a book about the powerful 1954 storm entitled "Hurricane Carol: 50 Years Later - A Collection of Memories Past and Present." She donated the proceeds from the book to the Crescent Beach Improvement Association.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Jacqueline "Lyn" Brown, and her husband Lawton, of Arlington, VA and Karen "Kira" Langolf, and her husband Michael, of Atlantis, FL; two brothers, Paul E. Milott, Jr., and his wife Edith, of Mattapoisett and Jupiter, FL and J. Everett Milott, and his wife Carole, of Wayland, MA and Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico; four grandchildren, Bradford FitzGerald Brown, Garrett Lawton Brown, Carey Amelienne Brown, and Brigette Adrienne Langolf...............................
After marriage, she enjoyed the life of a military wife living in Selma, Alabama; Plattsburg, New York; Columbus, Ohio; and, the island of Guam. In 1969, the family moved to Miami, Florida. After several years as a homemaker, Mrs. FitzGerald returned to teaching at Pinewood Acres School and then became a school administrator. In 1978, the family moved to Palm Beach County. Mrs. FitzGerald became a volunteer at J.F.K. Hospital in Atlantis, FL and later retired as Director of Volunteers. Mrs. FitzGerald and her family have been summer residents of Mattapoisett since 1950. Surviving Hurricane Carol prompted her to write a book about the powerful 1954 storm entitled "Hurricane Carol: 50 Years Later - A Collection of Memories Past and Present." She donated the proceeds from the book to the Crescent Beach Improvement Association.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Jacqueline "Lyn" Brown, and her husband Lawton, of Arlington, VA and Karen "Kira" Langolf, and her husband Michael, of Atlantis, FL; two brothers, Paul E. Milott, Jr., and his wife Edith, of Mattapoisett and Jupiter, FL and J. Everett Milott, and his wife Carole, of Wayland, MA and Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico; four grandchildren, Bradford FitzGerald Brown, Garrett Lawton Brown, Carey Amelienne Brown, and Brigette Adrienne Langolf...............................
---------------------------
From:
Kira
Langolf Sent: Thursday,
June 15, 2017 5:45 PM Subject: Death
of retired Delta Captain Pete FitzGerald
My father, Pete FitzGerald (aka Clifford P. FitzGerald)
who is also a retired Delta Captain and Air Force Colonel.
Pete passed away peacefully at his home in Massachusetts this week. He had seemed in fine health, so it was quite a shock.
...................My dad was a retired Delta Captain and served over 25 years with Delta, a company and job he truly loved.
The funeral/obituary are linked below:http://www.saundersdwyer.com/ObituariesM.html
Pete passed away peacefully at his home in Massachusetts this week. He had seemed in fine health, so it was quite a shock.
...................My dad was a retired Delta Captain and served over 25 years with Delta, a company and job he truly loved.
The funeral/obituary are linked below:http://www.saundersdwyer.com/ObituariesM.html
Kira (Karen FitzGerald-Langolf)
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