Fitzgerald, Robert "Bobby" Obituary

Fitzgerald, Robert "Bobby" attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Fitzgerald, Robert "bobby".

Graduation Year	Class of 1966
Date of Passing	Sep 12, 2013
About	On September 28, 1948 in Long Beach CA, the world was blessed with the birth of Robert “Bob” Fitzgerald. Bob was the fourth child of Harry and Eleanor Fitzgerald. The family moved north and Bob attended Dillard School in Wilton, Elk Grove Elementary and Elk Grove High School graduating in 1966. One thing I will say about Bob, he had no fear. We would have a game of him getting on the roof of the car and would spin brodies trying to throw him off. He was good! He also used to jump off the middle span of the Bridge House bridge. On a trip to Sacramento in the spring of 1966 with Mike Hughes and Gil Mendoza to visit with the Air Force Recruiter, Bob wandered off. He ended up signing up for the Army. He had to have his parents to sign for him since he wasn’t old enough to join. Right after graduation he started his career with the Army. Two tours in Vietnam, several years with Army Intelligence and travel all over the world. Bob could only give me hints what he was doing. Bob is survived by his wife Kris, the best thing that ever happened to him, son Jon and grandson Liam Robert. I had the chance to meet up with Bob and Kris at Hot August Nights last month. He was excited that he cruised at 100 mph in his new 2014 Mustang GT. Bob was a dare devil but not with driving, he drove like a little old lady. He had to keep telling me he drove with a bunch of Corvettes at 100 mph. Bob had health problems for several years. After 29 years in the Army he was diagnosed with MS. At the time he was the highest ranking NCO at Ft Lewis, WA. Sergeant Major Fitzgerald retired with too many medals to mention. He had another setback when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He thought he had it beat but after his recent trip to Reno the cancer returned. Bob passed away on September 12th in the VA hospital in Vancouver WA. He will be deeply missed but knowing Bob, he would want a party. Bob didn’t want a service or memorial but he asked to be dressed in his Hawaiian shirt and Panama hat with Jimmy Buffett music playing in the background for his final destination. He was an amazing man, family man and friend. He was a hero among us! - Information from best friend Russ Oase An on line news article about Bobby's military career: Robert Earl Fitzgerald was born on September 28, 1948 in Elk Grove, CA. He graduated from Elk Grove High in June of 1966 and enlisted in the Army in July. After training, he was assigned to Korea. He did two tours in Vietnam, first as a ground soldier (1968-1969) and then in the administrative field (1970-1971) separated by a stint in Ethiopia. He served at Ft. Ord, CA before heading to Taiwan. Next was Texas and New Jersey, with further schooling interspersed. SFC Fitzgerald pcs'd to Germany in July 1980 and after being medivac'd to Texas for emergency shoulder surgery, he convalesced there until heading back to Germany in 1982. In early 1984, he moved to Sharpe Army Depot, CA until moving to Ft. Lewis in 1986. He was promoted to SGM in October of 1990 and accepted a short tour to Korea for his first Sergeant Major duty station. He finished out his last 5 years of his 29 and half year military career back at Ft. Lewis. Upon medical retirement in 1996, Bob was employed with the Post Office in the maintenance field. He continued using his administrative knowledge by helping his fellow veterans increase their VA disability ratings. He moved to Oregon in 2010 to be near his wife's family. He passed away September 12, 2013 due to Squamus Cell Lung Carcnoma aided by exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam. He loved his country and served faithfully for 44 years. He has been truly missed by his family and friends. Twenty-Seven California Veterans to be Inducted into "In Memory Program" for 2020 Ceremony in Washington, D.C. honors Vietnam Veterans who died after returning home Washington, D.C. – Nearly 600 Vietnam veterans, including twenty-seven from California, will be inducted into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) In Memory Program for 2020. The program honors Vietnam veterans whose lives were cut short as a result of their service after they returned home from Vietnam. On October 15, 2021, VVMF will host its 2020 In Memory ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where the names of each of the 591 honorees for 2020 will be read aloud. The ceremony was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. “For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight. Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences. As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in 2004. It reads: In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice. 2020 In Memory Inductees from California: https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/500042/Robert-Earl-Fitzgerald/