Obituary of Richard D. Fitzgerald

Richard D. Fitzgerald of Naples, FL, and Aurora, NY, loving and dearly beloved husband for 42 years of Mary Louise O’Loughlin Fitzgerald and the late Kathryn Lynch Fitzgerald, passed away on November 26, 2019 at age 93. Dick was born in Aurora, NY on March 28, 1926, son of the late Dennis and Alice Maloney Fitzgerald. In addition to Mary Louise, he leaves behind three children whom he cherished and considered his greatest legacy: Stephen J. Fitzgerald and his wife Joan Lynch of Portsmouth, RI, Roseann Fitzgerald of Worcester, MA, and Denise F. Danyow and her husband Robert of Charlotte, VT. He had five grandchildren whom he greatly treasured and loved, including Kevin Fitzgerald and Paul and Kathryn Danyow. Dick was predeceased by his grandsons Dennis and Richard Fitzgerald, for whose passing he was deeply saddened and grieved. He is also survived by three brothers, Joseph, Robert, and David and his wife, Ruth Dugan. He was predeceased by his sisters-in-law, Maryann Costello Fitzgerald and Eileen Nolan Fitzgerald. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

                Dick graduated from Cayuga Lake Academy in Aurora in 1942, valedictorian of his class. Following high school, he attended Central City Business College in Syracuse, NY, where he was president of the student council and an academic leader. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17 for officer training through the V-12 program at St. Lawrence University and later at Dartmouth College. He graduated from Dartmouth and its Tuck School of Business, receiving his AB with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, and his naval commission in June 1946 and his MBA in June 1949. Dick served as the Navy Supply Corps Officer on the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41) for two years. After being released to inactive duty in 1948, he received prized commendations from the late Admirals Albert Morehouse and Forsyth Massey, whom he had served under on the Midway. The Midway, commissioned in 1945 and the largest ship in the world at the time, had a long and distinguished service in the Atlantic and Pacific and is now in its final berth in San Diego as a popular naval museum.

                Dick spent his entire professional career, starting in 1949, with the international accounting firm, Price Waterhouse. He retired in 1986 in London, England as deputy chairman of the PW World Firm. Dick and Mary Louise greatly enjoyed living in London for those several years before his retirement. He was a long-term member of the AICPA and of the New York and Connecticut Societies of CPAs. Dick was active in various professional communities, including the AICPA Auditing Standards Board. Among other assignments in the New York, Hartford, and London offices of his firm, he specialized in consulting on accounting matters on behalf of clients before the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was also the in-charge partner specializing in consulting law firms throughout the U.S. on economics and financial management of their practices. Dick was recognized as a national authority in these matters and was a featured speaker and author at economics forums sponsored by the American Bar Association. 

                For a number of years later in his career, he was the senior partner for accounting services to Royal Dutch Shell in London and the Hague, one of his favorite clients. His other international interests included consulting with the U.S. State Department on multinational corporate financial reporting matters as well as with the OECD, UN, and International Chamber of Commerce, particularly relevant to narrowing the many differences in accounting principles as applied throughout countries of the world. He received a commendation letter from Secretary of State George Shultz for these services.

                Among his favorite community activities were IRS-sponsored income tax consulting for the elderly, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, the Guadalupe Center’s After-school Tutoring Program, and the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, as well as Dartmouth Alumni Association work relating to enrollment and serving as an officer in its Hartford Chapter. Over the years, he was a member of the Harbor View and University clubs of New York, the Hartford Club, the Golf Club and University Club of Hartford, and the Hideaway Beach Club of Marco Island, FL. He also served as director and president of his condo association in Marco Island. While at Dartmouth, he was a welterweight boxer and member of the Glee Club and SAE fraternity. He later sang with the University Glee Club. Dick was a lifelong sports fan with several favorite teams: Red Sox, Patriots, and NY Giants. He was a somewhat dedicated golfer but a really devoted boater. For many years, he and Mary Louise cruised the Atlantic coast on their Grand Banks Trawler, Aurora, including a once-in-a-lifetime roundtrip cruise from Connecticut to the Florida Keys. Happy days were also had boating at their Cayuga Lake cottage in Aurora and especially towing two generations of kids on their skis and floats.

                Dick always was proud of his long professional career and the many partners and other people he met around this “girdled earth”. He said he was lucky in the career choice he made, especially in the close fraternity of Price Waterhouse partners whom he admired greatly and of whom many became cherished, lifelong friends. He also thought how good the Lord is to have given him such a wonderful family to provide with his advice (maybe too much!) and support for their well-being and love. To them and especially to Kathryn, Mary Louise, his children, their spouses, and his grandchildren, Dick says, “thank you very much for your dear love and affection and so long for now.” He will be sadly missed.

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, December 17 from 4pm to 7pm at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT.

Masses of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30am on Wednesday, December 18 at Church of the Incarnation, 544 Prospect Street, Wethersfield, CT and at 11am on Friday, December 20 at St. Patrick’s Church, 303 Main Street, Aurora, NY. Interment will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Aurora, NY. 

For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.

Memorial donations may be made to the following organizations:

• Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, 30 Arbor St, Hartford, CT 06106
• Guadalupe Center After-school Tutoring Program,  2640 Golden Gate Parkway Suite 205, Naples, FL 34105
• Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, 2675 Winkler Ave., Suite 300, Fort Meyers, FL 33901