Benjamin O. Fitzgerald, 84, passed on Jan. 21 in Dunnellon, Fla. He was born in 1928 in Canaan to Susie and Benjamin O. Fitzgerald.
Ben married his sweetheart, Margaret, in 1947. They were married for 66 years.
Together they had five children, Darlene Markham (Terry), Cynthia Thibodeau (Tom Cote), Benjamin Fitzgerald (Irene), lost two sons in 2008 Ronald Fitzgerald and Dwight Fitzgerald (Cara). Ben came from a large family as did most people of his time. Walter Fitzgerald, Mildred Brennan, Violet Fitzgerald, Wilson Fitzgerald and Geraldine Fitzgerald all went before Ben. Pauline Bowen, Madeline Robinson, Emery Fitzgerald (Barbara), and Golden Salisbury (Walter) are left to mourn his passing. He was blessed with grandchildren, Shawn Markham (Jennifer), Nicolas Thibodeau (Bobbie), Lisa Thibodeau, Todd Fitzgerald, and Troy Fitzgerald (Stephanie), and had the pleasure of great-grandchildren, Samantha and Morgan Markham, Kiley, Cole and Ian Thibodeau.
Ben’s professional career was in law enforcement. He had 25 years with the Bath Police Department rising to the rank of sergeant. The next seven years he served as Chief of Police for the Town of Wiscasset. Ben attended several law enforcement and military police schools during his professional career, Babson College in Massachusetts, Yucca Flats Test Area in Mercury, Nev., and Military Police School at Fort McClellan in Alabama, just to name a few. Ben was a life member of the Maine Chief of Police Association.
During his law enforcement years, he was involved with a group of young men interested in hot rods, known as the “Road Angels.” Being a presence in the community was very important to him.
Like other fellow officers, Ben had to supplement his income. His entrepreneur career was varied; in his early years he drove trucks for Sam Prawer & Co., later he took on an LP bottle gas company – Fitzgerald’s Maine Gas. He was well known for plowing snow in downtown Bath, owned and operated several garages, one a Chevron station in downtown Bath, and with his wife owned and operated Richards Restaurant in Bath for seven years. It was at the restaurant he instilled in his children the work ethic.
In his private time he decided to learn how to fly and owned an airplane with Bob Dingley. Growing up on a farm, it is no wonder Ben always had a love for animals, no matter the nature of the critter; he was a “softy” when it came to animals and considered them his very best friends.
During his retirement years, Ben and Margaret had many good traveling experiences and met a lot of people to call “friend” as they travelled in their “Little Winn” motor home from Maine to Arizona (Lake Havasu, home of the “London Bridge”), Texas and Florida.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Wed., May 22 at Lawrys Funeral Home, 107 Main St., Fairfield, followed by a committal service at Fairview Cemetery on Route 23 N. in Canaan. The Bath Police Department Color Guard will be participating at Ben’s service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bath Police Benevolent Association, 250 Water St., Bath, ME 04530.
