After her retirement
from Atlantic Research Inc. in Gainesville, VA, Jackie’s love of all
things natural and beautiful were demonstrated through her tireless
commitment to the Garden Club of Montclair, but most profoundly as
a founding member of the not-for-profit ArtBeat artist co-op and Gallery
in Manassas, VA. The only things Jackie cherished more than sharing
her artwork with others in galleries throughout Northern Virginia
was the annual family beach trip that she organized so that she could
visit with her many grandchildren from all over the country whom she
worshipped until her last breath. They include T.C., Taylor, Kenny
and the late Jackson Corrigan; Joseph and Elyse Suprano; Kyla and
Nevan Fitzpatrick; and Angie Ritt. She also kept a loving spot in
her heart for her step-grandchild P.J. Kunwar and her many loving
nieces and nephews.
Jackie’s many friends
will miss her devoted friendship, optimistic outlook and dogged determination
to create a better world regardless of the obstacles in front of her.
In lieu of flowers,
memorial contributions can be made on behalf of Jackie to the ArtBeat
Gallery, P.O. Box 10037, Manassas, VA 20108 or to the Amyloidosis
Research Foundation at 7151 N. Main St., Clarkston, MI 48346 or www.amyloidosis.org/contributions.asp.
Jackie's
Eulogy: Delivered by her son, Andy
On behalf of
the family, thank you all for coming to pay your respects today during
this very busy and chaotic time of the year. I know some of you have
rearranged your schedules and traveled a great distance to be here
on very short notice, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
I have been asked to say a few words about mom, who has moved on to
a better place more deserving of her presence, where angels live…for
all eternity.
Brought into
this world by one of the hardiest and most resilient women you will
even meet, seated right over here, she graced this imperfect world
for 74 years; and dad’s world for 54 of those years…raised
four kids, and enriched the lives of all she touched.
Those of us lucky
enough, to have mom’s light shine on their presence, know that
she embodied some of the finest qualities that we humans can posses.
Mom helped to
enrich whole communities of people…whether it was her extended
family, the Montclair Garden Club, The Prince William County Art Society,
the ArtBeat Co-op, or the infamous “lunch bunch”, she
loved to be part of the human experience. In those activities, she
could make even the shyest person feel included, and had a magical
way that would encourage them to venture beyond their own self-imposed
boundaries, and could guide them into her circle of unconditional
acceptance. And although it sounds trite to say, she assigned value
in her relationships with people based on their integrity and faith,
and most certainly not their perceived position in society.
Even in her
last years, her youthful enthusiasm belied her chronological age,
and her unyielding optimism infused everything she did. And although
stricken with a cruel and unrelenting disease for the past 5 years,
she was never one to complain or seek sympathy from others…and
would never use her diminished capacity as an excuse not to follow
through on her commitments to others.
Always carrying
herself with a sense of dignity and grace, it would belie the fact
that she was borne of a less than privileged background; and it was
this background that formed the basis of her humility…and by
extension, the ability to connect with ALL people…especially
those with humble beginnings.
Her sense of
humor was subtle and cleverly playful…and she used this special
gift to break down barriers between those with a rough hew, and could
find a way to defuse even the most tense of circumstances. I think
about times over the past few years where I sought to prompt her true
feelings about me, and I would often assert my status with her as
“her most favorite son”, and she always reassured me that
indeed that was the case, without ever reminding me, that I was her
only son.
She understood,
and often reminded us kids that talk was cheap, and it was the action
that followed the talk, that was the true measure of your character.
And although she was capable to cheerlead from the sidelines in the
right circumstances…she most often led by example…and
let others discover their own inner strength to fulfill their own
destiny.
Her persistence
was legendary, as those who wished to test this particular quality
will confirm. But she countered this dogged persistence with a measured
sense of fairness and balance that kept harmony for all involved.
And for those whose voice would otherwise be neglected, her keen sense
of justice made her a champion for the understated.
Her empathy
was unmatched, as there are those in this room who can remember that
she was always willing to drop ANYTHING she might be doing…to
lend a sympathetic ear.
She could be
your kindest critic, yet at the same time your most devoted fan and
certainly your most fearless defender against those that might disparage
or speak ill of you.
And as we ALL
know, she had a gift that would allow her to organize massive amounts
of minutiae into recognizable pods of information, soon to be translated
into action items…and ready to be parsed out to those who could
keep pace with her hummingbird-like drive to - just – get –
things - done!
Paradoxically,
she still had the ability to be incredibly and wonderfully creative.
And through her art that she surrounds us with today, we can witness
this ability to express herself with flair and originality.
Mom never really
cared about wealth the way most people do….counting the zero’s
on the end of a bank account. She measured wealth by the quality of
the people she surrounded herself with…and by that measure,
she achieved a sum greater than most of us can even dream.
Mom lived a long
life. Certainly not as long of a life as we had all hoped, but a long,
and most importantly…rich life. One that was filled with travel,
exploration and people whom she loved and treasured. She never seemed
to waste even one minute of her time. Always seeming to find a way
to fill her day with activities that MEANT something…to her…or
others that she loved.
And…as
anybody that has spent even 10 minutes with her knows, her greatest
source of joy and pride were her grandkids, all here today to pay
homage to their Gram…Queen of the beach trip…and crab-cake
chef extraordinaire.
And so this
is where her legacy lives forever, with these grandkids who have been
blessed with her devoted, loving and generous influence all these
years. And so, while Gram’s unconditional love has been passed
on to all of them, her spirit is now in their very capable hands.
And while she would never make such a demand of them, she would have
the expectation, that they will take the example that she has provided…
and spread her seeds of kindness, love and 
temperance to all those people they have met…and have yet to
meet, throughout the rest of their lives.
As for the rest
of us, Mom leaves us to appreciate the simple beauty of the life we
have created thus far…and have yet to live. She would not wish
us to pine for her presence, but instead appreciate those around us,
and seek out others that can benefit from our generosity and thus
bring richness to OUR lives, and those we love.
So, let us all
leave this place, knowing that Mom is smiling down upon us…knowing
once more that she has created yet another opportunity for us to be
together, and share in the human experience that was the essence of
her life. God bless mom and god bless you all for being with us here
today.
On Sunday, December 20, 2009, Jacqueline (Jackie) Fitzpatrick, raised
in Chesapeake, VA but a long time resident of Montclair, VA passed
away after a courageous and determined five year battle with Amyloidosis.
Beloved wife of C. Vincent Fitzpatrick for the past 54 years, daughter
of Margaret DeLoatche and the late J.W. DeLoatche Sr. of Chesapeake
VA, sister of J.W. DeLoatche Jr. and his wife Trudy of Virginia Beach,
VA; mother of Teresa Fitzpatrick of Sarasota, FL; Rosemary Suprano
and her husband Joseph of Mt. Lebanon, PA; Andrew Fitzpatrick and
his wife Linda from Mill Valley, CA; and Beth Fitzpatrick Ritt and
her husband Dave from Nederland, CO.
