Robert Fitzsimmons

Dr. Robert C. Fitzsimmons of Bellingham, WA, also known fondly as “Bob”, died at the wonderful age of 90 on February 3, 2026 in Rockwall, Texas. He was surrounded by family in the area and beyond.

Bob was born on April 8, 1935 to George and Carol Fitzsimmons in Lewiston, Idaho. From a very early age, Bob was active and involved in family life, farm life and church life in Clarkston, Washington. He was baptized at the age of 9 in the First Christian Church in Clarkston which had been built by his grandfather and other men in the community years before. His baptism, he would always recall with special significance and with Psalm 23 as his favorite Scripture. He was raised along with his four brothers and sister on a busy poultry farm that also made a home to the first Arabian horses in that part of the state. Here he learned to work hard, play hard and live well with kindness, honesty, integrity and good character. He was a great man~

Bob graduated from Clarkston High School in Clarkston, WA in 1953. He was honored and thrilled to be elected as the Student Body President of his senior class and this moment proved to sharpen and define his path forward. While in high school, he ran track and played on the varsity basketball team. His most memorable track award came when he won first place for running the ½ mile race in the time of 2 minutes! Following his high school graduation, he enrolled and attended at Washington State University studying Animal/ Poultry Science. It was there at a fraternity dance that Bob met the love of his life, Billie Wills, on a blind date. Upon graduation, they married on August 10, 1958 in Pomeroy, WA and began their life together. From this point onward, they would be known as “Billie and Bob”.

Almost immediately, they packed their entire life’s belongings into their car and they headed to Minnesota where Bob began his Master’s degree in Poultry Science at the University of Minnesota. While there, he also pursued his PhD, specializing in Embryology and Immunology. While living in Minnesota, they welcomed their first child, Jillayne. From here, Bob and family moved to Milwaukee, WI to complete a one year post-doctoral program at Marquette University. While working and studying here, they celebrated the birth of their second child, Brent. And then, in 1969, the following year, Bob and family had the exciting opportunity to head back west bringing them closer to family but with a move to British Columbia, Canada to teach and research at the University of British Columbia. Here in that same year, they celebrated the birth of their third child, Joeleff, and life was full.

While at UBC, Bob (known as “Dr. Fitz”) had the honor of working with many people over the course of his career and impacted the lives of countless students both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He traveled to present his research throughout the United States and to Scotland and England during his tenure. He stayed with the university for many years but eventually took an early retirement to serve as a consultant for the B.C. Poultry and Egg Association for his final ten years of employment. He was very much a strategic problem solver and diplomat which served him well in this capacity and in life in general. All in all, he contributed a great deal to academia and to the local poultry industry and beyond.

His time away from the university campus was spent in Surrey with the busy home life of his growing family, as well as tending to their own poultry farm of 500 hens along with many other animals. The memories from this time in life are amazing for each of us! He was a dad that loved his family well and was very present and active in each of our lives and was always supportive and encouraging.

When he fully retired and his children were grown, Bob and Billie moved back to the states in 1998 and settled in Ferndale, Washington where they built their first home. They loved this new home and the close proximity to family up the Pacific coast and further south. Sadly, in 2010, Billie passed away with Alzheimer’s and Bob remained in the Bellingham/ Ferndale area. Slowly and in time, the fullness of life returned but in different ways. In a very special turn of events, Bob was invited to join the “Hazeltones” (a Canadian music group) playing harmonica. He was honored and enjoyed this for several years. In addition, he enjoyed playing music with a local group of musicians in Bellingham for the seniors in the area and for Christmas and other special occasions. New friends and new activities filled his life along with travels to spend time with his family and grandchildren who brought much joy in his life.

In September of 2021, during the covid crisis and the closed US/ Canadian border, Bob decided to relocate to Texas to move closer to family. Here he lived out the remainder of his accomplished and well lived life with his daughter and family while staying in close contact with his sons and their families in Canada as well as all his other family and friends in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Bob is survived by his immediate three children and their families; Jillayne Gardner and her husband, Mark, of Rockwall, TX (children- Abbey May & husband Joshua, Sarah Rose & John Mark); Brent Fitzsimmons and his wife, Jeannine, of Sechelt, B.C. (children- Sydney, Amber, Madison, Simone & granddaughter- Sylvia); and Joeleff Fitzsimmons and his wife, Chantal, of Victoria, B.C.(children- Esmee & Wil). Other surviving family includes Bob’s three brothers and their families: George Fitzsimmons; Richard Fitzsimmons and his wife, Margene; Dan Fitzsimmons and his wife, JoAnne and his brother-in-law, Norm Wills and his wife, Ramona. In addition, there are cousins, many nieces and nephews and many lifelong friends that will remember him with great fondness. We will miss this wonderful father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend sorely over the months and years ahead but we remember this amazing man with a rich and wonderful life.

Lastly, Bob would want you to know that he has placed his faith and trust in Christ for salvation and would hope the same for each person he has known over the course of his life. May he now hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:23

A celebration of life service is being planned for February 28, 2026 at Rest Haven Funeral Home in Rockwall, Texas at 2 pm. A burial service will be held at a later date in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada where our dear mother is already buried. This date is to be determined.

A very special thank you goes out to the many staff at Visiting Angels, Broadmoor Medical Lodge and Lifted Hospice and those in the community – all that cared so lovingly for our father during these last couple of months. Thank you~