James Donald Fitzpatrick, Sr.

James Donald “Don” Fitzpatrick (the “Senior” was to come thirty years later) was born in his home at 1521 Battery Avenue in South Baltimore on July 3, 1927.  He attended grammar school at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea, and attended high school at Loyola Blakefield until he was drafted into the United States Army in 1945. Don was honorably discharged in 1947.

Shortly after his time in the army, Donald met Miss Joan Alloway. Donald would make his group of friends visit her parents' store where he would often purchase a single can of Spunky dog food. [It was revealed many years later that Don did not, in fact, own a dog.]  He finally won her over, and Donald and Joan were married on April 14, 1952.  They lived in several homes in Baltimore before finally settling down in Catonsville in the late 1960s. The marriage produced six children: John Thomas; Mary Ellen; James Donald, Jr.; Christina Rose, Kathleen Brigid, and Peter Joseph.  There are also twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Don had a brief stint working for the B&O Railroad, and later began a lengthy tenure working for the Chesapeake Paperboard Company in South Baltimore.  Donald retired from there in the early 1990's. He and Joan enjoyed a lengthy retirement together. They spent much of their retirement traveling the country extensively by car and by rail, having made it to just about every state in the Union.

Apart from his family, what Donald enjoyed most in life were old movies, big band music, bull roasts (but only if they had raw oysters as well), crossword puzzles, Orioles baseball, Notre Dame Football, Duckpin Bowling and salt.  He was also known for his love of young children and dogs - not necessarily in that order.

While not a man of great education, he was certainly a man of great intelligence and a sharp wit.  We will miss him greatly.