James (Jim) Fitzgerald passed away of natural causes on February 22, 2019, surrounded by his family. Jim was born in Draper, Utah on August 9th, 1936, the ninth of eleven children of Leland W. Fitzgerald and Eva Allen Fitzgerald. He was raised on a large family ranch and attended Jordan High School, where he graduated in 1955.
He then attended the University of Utah, graduating with a degree in Physics, while serving in the Utah Air National Guard. He married Kareen Nielson of Sandy in 1957 and had five children. Jim worked in the aeronautics and space industry from 1958 until 1967.
During this time, he was a scientist for the NASA and military missile programs during the pioneering age of space exploration. He worked on the Atlas, Minuteman, Apollo and other missile systems, with his unique combination of razor-sharp intellect and farm boy common sense. In 1967, he decided to follow his lifelong dream of owning his own farm.
With little more than his trademark bull-headed determination, he started with a piece of land covered in sagebrush and built a 450-cow dairy in the middle of the Utah County desert. He was an innovator in the industry and operated one of the few fully-integrated dairies in Utah, growing his own feed, processing and bottling the milk and delivering it directly to stores throughout northern Utah. In 1985 he returned to the aeronautics industry where he served as the lead engineer for the United States Air Force’s flight test program for the Peacekeeper and Minuteman III missile systems.
All while building and operating another dairy in Willard, Utah. Jim retired in 1998 and spent several years traveling around the western United States, Canada and Alaska with his wife and beloved dogs. He loved farming, animals, the outdoors, camping, and spending time with the people he loved.
Even in retirement, he continued to work tirelessly to serve and provide for his extended family with a devotion and loyalty not often seen. Jim is survived by his wife Kareen, daughters Marcy Wright, Shanna Clark, Shala Hatch and son Chet Fitzgerald. He has also been blessed with 15 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter Kristin F. Cook, grandsons Wynd Wright and Wysee Cook and great-granddaughter Eva Clark. His indominable spirit, confidence, intellect and strength under pressure are a great inspiration to his family and everyone that knew him. He was a truly remarkable man, and we are fortunate to have known him.
Funeral services will be Friday, March 1, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. at Myers Mortuary Chapel, 205 S. 100 E., Brigham City, UT. Family and friends may call on Friday from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. at the Mortuary. Interment will be in the Willard Cemetery.
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