Mary Evans FitzGerald

Mary Evans “Heather” FitzGerald, the youngest child of Ann F. and Patrick J. Evans, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on March 12, 1920. She died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Falls Church, Virginia, on February 28, 2019. Her memory will be cherished by her nephew Norman Kernander and his two children Caitlin Elyse and Cullen Ryan of South Lyon, Michigan, and by her many friends. She was predeceased by her sister Ann Evans Kernander and by her husbands Arthur Hooper, John Stipp and Albert FitzGerald.

Heather graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Salem and earned a Bachelors degree from Boston College. She went on to earn a Masters degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts and attended Cambridge University.

A renaissance woman long before the concept was popular, Heather began her career at the Department of the Navy in Boston then transferred to the General Counsel’s office at the Veterans Administration, where she gained an appreciation of the law. She put that knowledge to good use, helping many veterans, family and friends to thread their way through the government’s complex regulations in order to obtain their benefits.

Moving to the Washington DC area as the Kennedy Administration began, Heather soon found a new role as personal secretary to Ethel Kennedy and became a part of the social fabric of Washington, accompanying the Kennedys to many social and political events and indulging her love of theatre and dance. She and her husband Arthur Hooper delighted in exploring the city and its many attractions.

In the mid-1960s, Heather accepted a position as an analyst at the National Science Foundation. Her love of education eventually led her to the Office of Education, now the Department of Education, where she became a specialist in early childhood education within the Office of Planning and Evaluation. With a promotion in hand, she transferred to the National Center for Educational Statistics, where she managed the collection of statistics for higher education until she retired from Federal service.

To cope with the unexpected loss of her husband Arthur Hooper, Heather soon began a new phase of her career, taking a position with the American Council on Education. She met her second husband John Stipp while working there. She retired again, and she and John traveled extensively. She joined the Episcopal Church and was a member of St. Andrews church in Arlington, Virginia, where she participated in St. Anne’s Guild and the Glorious Companions study group.

After John’s death, Heather turned again to professional activities, volunteering on Capitol Hill, including in the office of Rep. Martin Meeham. She married a long-time friend, Albert FitzGerald, and they traveled widely. They enjoyed winters at his home in Florida and summers at her home in Arlington. They occasionally visited their vacation home in Lanesville, Massachusetts, where she volunteered for the Cape Ann Historical Museum.

When she married Albert, she retired to an active life in her community, maintaining a lovely home filled with works of art, including many by her husband Arthur, and her beloved dogs. She hosted meetings of the Arlington Crystal Springs Study Club, reading, loving and sharing the latest books with friends. She was a member of many social and cultural groups, including the 22207 Neighborhood women’s lunch club, the Northern Virginia Professional Engineers Wives Club, the Army Navy Club, the Democratic Women’s Club and a local grief group.

Heather will be long remembered for her warm and generous personality and for her absolute devotion to her friends and neighbors.

She was the definition of “friend”.