Obituary of J. Lendell Fitzgerald

J. Lendell Fitzgerald Lendell Fitzgerald, 62, of Murfreesboro, died Tuesday, Jan. 13. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sharon Holt Fitzgerald; daughter, Katie Fitzgerald; mother, Mary Sue Sanders Fitzgerald; sister-in-law, Kelly Holt Hanna; niece, Kristen Hanna; and nephew, Kyle Hanna. He is also survived by dear friends of more than three decades, Jeff and Nancy Webb of Spring Hill, Florida. Lendell was preceded in death by his father, Clinton J. Fitzgerald. Lendell was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Nov. 25, 1952, and graduated from Boones Creek High School, where he was Mr. Boones Creek – an honor his wife and daughter ribbed him about frequently. He graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. That’s where he met Sharon Holt from Tullahoma, and he married her just as soon as they both graduated in 1978. First, they lived in Gatlinburg, then Oak Ridge, and then they headed to what they believed was the frozen tundra of Dover, Delaware. (It was wasn’t much colder than Tennessee, they discovered, rather disappointed.) Lendell eventually rose to be director of engineering for Playtex Inc. Delaware was a special place for them, with its beautiful beaches, rolling farmland and proximity to large cities. Lendell and Sharon thought they might retire there someday. They also hoped to return to Ireland, where they once spent an extraordinary vacation with Jeff and Nan. In 1989, they moved home to Tennessee and settled in the Indian Hills community of Murfreesboro. That’s where they have been ever since, playing golf – usually pretty badly – when they could. In 2013, Lendell retired from MAHLE Filter Systems in Murfreesboro, where he was a senior quality engineer. His retirement was hastened by his June 2013 diagnosis of leukemia, a disease that eventually took his life but not his love for the life he cherished. Lendell and Sharon’s finest hour was on the evening of Dec. 24, 1992, when Kathleen Suzanne Fitzgerald was born. Lendell was so proud that Katie weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces. Sharon, not so much. “God made her just big enough so that I wouldn’t be afraid to pick her up,” he said. And he joyously picked her up ever since. Katie is a senior at UT, majoring in microbiology, and will graduate in May. Lendell will walk across the stage with her; we just won’t be able to see him. Much like his dad, Lendell was the kind of husband and father who never wavered. He was the rock of his family, and he loved the women in it, including his mother, who lives independently at age 92, and dear Kelly, who he walked down the aisle in her 1989 wedding. While his family was his mission, another mission also touched his heart: an annual summer mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church of Murfreesboro, the week-long visit was simply for the reservation’s children and youth. The abject poverty affected Lendell deeply, and each child left an impression on his soul. Lendell was never one to sit around, so he’s probably not resting in peace. Chances are he’s now coupon shopping to stock the heavenly pantry and readying the soil for the Lord’s spring garden. A celebration of Lendell’s life will be Saturday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m. in the chapel of Murfreesboro Funeral Home, 145 Innsbrooke Blvd. in Murfreesboro, with the Rev. Dr. Kaye Nickell officiating. Visitation will be on Saturday 12-1 p.m. at Murfreesboro Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Nashville Chapter, 404 BNA Dr., Suite 102, Nashville, TN 37217-2571. Donations may also be made to the progressive (read: liberal) cause or candidate of your choice.