BECK-REIT DEDICATION
HENRY FITZGERALD SR. MEMORIAL
Henry Fitzgerald Senior was my Friend.
At my house we called him Henry Senior or just Senior. He was also our Senior Estimator, our Mentor, our Client and a terrific sounding board for just about anything. Through all of these rolls one thing was most clear, and what I enjoyed talking to him the most about, his incredible Faith In God. His Faith knew no bounds. I had the pleasure of spending many hours on the phone with him while driving to see properties, or even going to a pre-con meetings for a construction project. We would cover business in the first 5 minutes then move onto more personal topics that we both learned from.
During one Friday evening chat he told me how the death of his young daughter had brought him and his wife closer together and helped to form a stronger marriage. He was grateful for that increased bond and told me that I could handle the same thing- that I was stronger than I thought. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about particularly- yet it was so comforting for someone older and wiser to see strength in me that I didn’t see in myself. These are the things we talked about, always for hours.
When Henry had his heart attack, although a great loss for many, I was excited that he was that much closer to Heaven. I have no doubt that he is there and I have no doubt he couldn’t wait to get there. After losing his wife of over 50 years, I think he was lonesome. And really, he did incredible things on this earth. He led men and women in Business, Family, and Church. It was a tragic loss for his family, to lose Bertha and Henry so close together, but can’t you imagine how fun Heaven is with both of them there?
I love a funeral that is a celebration of a person’s life. When the congregation sang Henry’s favorite song “God Is Love” I was able to record a clip so I could keep forever. I put together some pics along with the song in a tribute video. Be sure to turn your volume up so you can hear the song (it is not a profession recording but a last minute iPhone recording from my pew). This is my way of letting go of Henry, and it has taken me many months to prepare this. I still have the poinsettia from the funeral on my kitchen counter. I’ve never kept one alive this long, but I faithfully water it once a week. It brings a smile to my face, just like Henry Senior always did.