Barbara Hughes Fitzpatrick

Barbara Hughes Fitzpatrick of Wesley Chapel, Florida, formerly of Central Square, New York passed away on August 3, 2014 following a battle with lung cancer. Barbara was born in Syracuse, NY, September 12, 1947, the third of four sisters, and the devoted daughter of the late William and Mary Margaret Hughes. She made a life together with her husband, Tim Fitzpatrick of Hastings, New York, and their three sons, Don, Steve and Tim. She and her family spent time living in: Syracuse, Rochester, and Baldwinsville, New York; Dallas and San Antonio, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Jacksonville, Tampa and Wesley Chapel, Florida. In each location, she and Tim found neighborhoods brimming with children for their kids, and she created a sense of home and lasting friendships that persisted across moves from place to place. Barbara embraced her family and the Church as a pair of intertwined callings, living a prayerful life dedicated to anticipating the needs of others in order to be of service to them. Whether helping her children, supporting her husband, performing work with Meals-On-Wheels, communing with other at daily Mass and Emmaus retreats, praying the rosary with her coworkers, or visiting Medjugorje, Barbara kept Christ at the center of her life, and focused on the caring of others as central to the message Christ shared. Most importantly, she was thoroughly loved by all who had a chance to be with her, learn from her, share her quick wit and sense of humor, or benefit from her tremendous strength. She is preceded in death by her loving parents, and by her adoring and beloved husband. She is survived by her children Don Fitzpatrick and his wife Sarah of Gainesville, FL, Steve Fitzpatrick and his wife Jessica of Fairfax, VA, and Tim Fitzpatrick of Wesley Chapel, FL, who served not only as her loving son but as her dedicated caregiver throughout the entirety of her struggle with cancer. She is also survived by her sisters Patricia Turner, Margaret Ashcroft and Judy Johnson, by her six grandchildren Jude, Jack, Zoe, Dylan, Ava and Harper, and by countless friends who miss her terribly.

A funeral mass will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Temple Terrace, FL, at 11 AM on Saturday, August 9. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 12690 N 56th Street, Tampa, FL. Interment will be in upstate New York at a later date.