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August 22, 2010 |
Former City Council and school board member Howard Fitzgerald died Saturday. He was 72. His sons Howard Jr., 48, and Kydhir, 47, said their father, who recently served as president of the Friends of the Trenton Public Library, died of complications from pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
"I'm going to miss his laugh -- it was a healthy, jovial laugh. Very infectious," said Howard, of Willingboro. "Every little thing made him laugh, but he was serious when he needed to be." He said his father was not happy to see people suffering or watch the deterioration of the city and the education system, so he served on both the council and the school board.
"He was not one to complain to other people; he was a man of action," Howard said. Mr. Fitzgerald lived the last few years in Willingboro, and his sons would frequently go to breakfast and lunches with him. "He was the happiest when he was with us and vice versa," the younger Howard said. "He was not only a father to us, he was also our buddy." Kydhir Fitzgerald recalled how important education was to his father.
"He cared about access to resources for the youth," Kydhir, of Burlington Township, said, "Ever since I could remember, he always had an interest in what was going on with youth." The elder Fitzgerald served as president of We Inc., a local organization established in 1965 to promote a positive image and motivating force within the minority community. Mr. Fitzgerald worked as an education program development specialist for the New Jersey Department of Labor from September 2001 until February 2009, according to spokesman Kevin Smith.
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