Floyd "Fitz" Heber Fitzgerald

Fitz passed away in his residence on the first day of winter at 85 years of age. He was born the fourth of five children to Mr. and Mrs. Heber Fitzgerald (Eva Lambier) in Battleford, Saskatchewan. He enjoyed a rambunctious youth in Saskatchewan, including playing pick-up hockey on an outdoor rink; the snow was typically piled up so high around the edges of the ice that only his woolen hat was visible as he sped around on his skates. Floyd left high school after Grade 10 to work for a living and was quickly hired onto a road-building crew for the following warm-weather months, where he enjoyed learning to operate the heavy equipment. When that work ended, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and headed off to Basic Training in Quebec at the age of 17, subsequently training to become an air frame mechanic. During his 33-year career in the Air Force, he progressed through the ranks to become a Warrant Officer; he experienced the amalgamation of Canada’s various military services into the Canadian Armed Forces; and he lived in many places – Ottawa, where he met his future wife Audrey; Toronto, Ontario; Trenton, Ontario (twice), where his first 2 children were born; Grostenquin, France, where the next 2 children were born; Edmonton, Alberta, where his 5th child was born; Burbank, California; and Orleans, Ontario, where he retired from the service. While stationed in Trenton the second time, he took night classes in Kingston to obtain a high-school equivalency diploma. Fitz was very proud to be part of the Canadian Armed Forces and always drove out to the nearest observation spot to salute service personnel who had died in active duty as they passed by on their way to Toronto or to their final resting places. After retiring from the service, he worked for several years for an Ottawa firm that provided parts to the Canadian military. Fitz and Audrey moved to Port Hope in 2006 to be closer to their Ontario “kids” and he lived there until 2015 when he moved to a retirement residence in Thornhill, Ontario.

Fitz was a natural athlete who won medals at the Canadian military games, took up downhill skiing in his late 30s when his children started skiing, and who enjoyed golf, baseball, skating and boating. He liked to have fun, was a talented singer and once Audrey taught him how to dance, there was no stopping the two of them on the dance floor. Fitz and Audrey together drove many miles to attend as many of their grandchildren’s concerts, special events, sporting lessons/competitions and graduations as possible and they could both be counted on to pitch in doing whatever their children needed help with.

Floyd is pre-deceased by his wife Audrey (nee Stevenson), as well as his four siblings. Beloved father/father-in-law of Heather (nee Fitzgerald) and Rick Turton; Sherri (nee Fitzgerald) and Terry Linthorne; Robin Fitzgerald; Kirk and Linda Fitzgerald; Kent Fitzgerald and Christine Winter. Loving grandfather to Ashley, Alysha and Eric Turton; Kyle and Shanon Fitzgerald; Marisa and Carly Fitzgerald; Melissa Weldon (nee Foye) and doting G-G Pa of Gabriel Miskowiec. He will be dearly missed by all of them.

If you wish to mark Fitz’s passing from this life with a donation, please consider one of the charities he supported – Covenant House, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Princess Margaret Hospital, the National Air Force Museum of Canada Foundation. A private memorial will be held for immediate family only.