I am sorry that I am so late with this message. I had not seen Jim since 2007 when I went to visit him at his home and have lunch. He was always kind and encouraging; I am truly thankful to have had him as an instructor at York Tech, but most importantly as a friend. He was a great mentor. I will miss him.

I got to know Mr. Fitzpatrick around December of 1989, where I was enrolling as a student at York Technical College.  I was in the administration office and was told to go to the engineering office.  Mr. Fitzpatrick happened to walk by and the counselor told him to take me to the engineering office.  This is where we first met.  Later on I had him as a teacher in AutoCAD, Statics, and Structural Steel Design.  This is where we got to know each other.  He saw my abilities and because I was enrolled to get work-study I tutored students in addition to helping Mr. Fitzpatrick grade papers.  I also did work for Mr. LeGrande.  I graduated in the spring of 1991, with a departure for Denver, Colorado in month of April, 1992; I had a full-time job to go to there.  After that date, we kept in contact once or twice a year.  In fact he did reference letters for me in addition to talking about all sorts of issues, whether health or what we did for activities.  He spoke fondly of his luncheons with other retired York Tech teachers; he sent me a picture.

Today, I was glad to have gotten to know him.  To me he was a good friend as well as a mentor.  I do have the last document he ever done for me and will be kept as a keepsake.  When I learned of his passing I was so sad.  When I think about him, I get sad feelings.  I don’t know if I will ever get over him being gone.  If it was not for him, I would not have a bachelor’s degree today and be doing work in the area of education, even though it is part-time and not make much money.  To me he will always be missed and always will have a special place.  Mr. Fitzpatrick, thank you for all the support and guidance over the last 29 years.  You will always be in my heart and always be a part of my future goals and endeavors.  No one will ever match what you did for me.  It is now time for rest.  You will always be loved and remembered by those who you touched.  You touched my life in a way no one will ever know.


We Were Soldiers...

To the list of those who considered Jim their friend, I humbly add my name.  Jim and I had many things drawing us together. We were both engineers, graduates of land-grand colleges and commissioned US Army officers through the ROTC program.  Jim was gifted at remembering his long-life including his service in WWII; in contrast, I have tried to forget Vietnam.  We met as college instructors and OGO and I shared a love of teaching.  I even learned that Jim was a gifted, award-winning Philatelist (stamps not coins).  It has been a blessing to be near my friend on a weekly basis for  the past few years.  I (we) will miss our friend but we’ll keep the warmest memories of Jim forever in our hearts.

LTC Allen P. Sanderlin
US Army (Ret))

I first met OGO when I was hired into the Industrial and Engineering Technologies Division of York Tech in 1986. After a few years, I decided to further my education and needed to take a Mechanical Drawing class. OGO was the instructor. He explained that we could call him Jim or OGO, and that OGO stood for O Great One, however his colleagues insisted it stood for Old Grey One! This became an example of OGO’s humor. I learned so much from him, not only about Mechanical Drawing, but life as well. After my retirement, I would look forward to hearing more of his humor and pearls of wisdom at our weekly Wednesday lunch get togethers at the Peach Stand in Ft. Mill. While I will miss him very much, I cherish his wit, his knowledge, his super sharp mind, his love of the Yankees and baseball, and everything else about him.

I started working at York Technical College fall 1986. This is when I met Jim Fitzpatrick - a unique and delightful human being. Jim retired from Monsanto, worked in the jail business, served in WWII, and loved Auburn. He collected stamps and loved baseball. He had a rich store of anecdotes to fit any occasion. He was an engineer, loving father, devoted husband to Ruth, and adored his grandchildren. He gave advice, not by telling one what they should do, but by asking all the right questions, so you simply knew what to do. 

In our office, Jim was duly dubbed O Great One. In the late 1980s the leader of the Rajneeshee religious sect known as “Osho” was headlining the news. There was nothing in common between Jim and the Shree Rajneesh. However, in our office antics, we decided Jim needed a title. So in likeness to Osho, Jim became known as OGO, or O Great One. It stuck with him the rest of his life.

Jim was my friend. He was there when I was a nervous new teacher. He was there as I began the arduous task of advancing my education. He was there as I learned to balance life with a demanding job. He honored me with the title of No.3 Girl, after Ruth of course, and his granddaughter, Allison. And, there were times I truly felt like a daughter. When he retired from the College, he was still there - “how are you?”, “When can we have lunch?”, and “Don't forget, I love you.”

I listened to him talk of caring for his mother, well into her nineties. I listened to how his granddaughter and grandson were doing in school, music, and sports. I loved stories about Ruth. I watched Jim dote on her and love her so tenderly as they aged. In my mind’s eye, I see them joyously together now.

It is always easy to recall days gone by as the good old days, but those days of teaching, learning, and being around my friend Jim, really were the best of days. I thank him for that.

OGO, I won’t ask how you are doing; I know you are well now, my friend. But don’t forget, I love you.

By far one of the greatest men I've ever known. Although we were almost eighty years apart in age, he is still one of the best and most genuine friends I've ever had. Jim has taught me so much about life, his service in the Army, and what it means to be a leader. I will undoubtedly cherish the memories of stopping by his home to talk to him, and I will never forget his stories. We had so much in common that had we been born in the same decade I can almost guarantee we would have been best friends. One could easily mistake him for my grandfather, which he was very much like for me during the time I had known him.
I express my deepest condolences for a friend I will always remember and a family I have been lucky enough to even know. I promise to carry on what I've learned from him and share his stories so men like Jim will never be forgotten.

OBITUARIO

James W Fitzpatrick Jr.

17 junio, 1921 – 27 febrero, 2019

McEwen Funeral Service-Pineville Chapel

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