Above: Gerald P. FitzGerald '58 in his senior yearbook photo.

Xavier Remembers Gerald P. FitzGerald '58

Xavier lost a loyal alumnus and great friend with the death of Gerald P. “Jerry” FitzGerald '58 on May 18, 2015, after a nearly six-month illness. Jerry ran track and cross country during his four years of high school and graduated from Fordham University in 1962. He often credited his Xavier teachers with making him realize the need to work hard and for instilling in him the desire to succeed. 

Mr. FitzGerald was a bit of a “Renaissance” man. A successful businessman, he had a lifelong career in the aviation industry, spending 34 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey followed by eight years at Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global transportation engineering company. Upon retirement from PB in 2004, he opened his own consulting firm—Aviation Perspectives, LLC—a transportation marketing and management company. In his spare time (writing while traveling on airplanes across the globe), he wrote and published a novel, The Seat of Power, a compelling story of history, politics, and religion. G.P. Putnam described the work as “an artfully-written thriller,” and the Midwest Book Review called it “a riveting thriller of power and abuse, and highly recommended.”

Mr. FitzGerald also devoted a good amount of time to charitable work, serving on the boards of Catholic Charities, the United Way, and Xavier High School. He joined the Xavier Board of Trustees for the first time in 2002 and served until 2008. During that time, he served on the board’s Plant Committee, eventually becoming its chairman during the last two years of his term in office. After he completed his term on the Board, he remained on the Plant Committee as a non-trustee member, then rejoined the Board in 2011, again serving on the Plant Committee until his passing. During his 13-year involvement in the governance of Xavier, Mr. FitzGerald was a source of great energy, calm, and humor in his dealings with other Board members, members of the administration, and the faculty. Recalling his contributions in a note to Xavier’s faculty and staff, Xavier President Jack Raslowsky wrote, “Over the years he carried a lot of water for Xavier and was instrumental in numerous plant projects. He has co-chaired the Fernandez-Duminuco Task Force and has been a driving force behind this project. He was an important voice as we considered renovations to the chapel. He was a regular presence at Career Day, a source of wise counsel to me and other trustees, and an outstanding ambassador for Xavier. He will be greatly missed.”

Jerry leaves his wife of 53 years, Ellen, two sons, two daughters, 11 grandchildren, a sister, Betty Ellingwood, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, a brother (and fellow author), Daniel FitzGerald, Jr. '48, and a sister, Maryclare Goss.