Daniel Fitzpatrick

Daniel “Dan” Charles Fitzpatrick passed away Monday, November 23, 2020 at approximately 4:20pm due to complications from COVID-19 in Fargo, ND with all of his teeth and his children by his side. Born Monday, December 10, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois to Walton and Dorothy (Okleshan) Fitzpatrick, Dan grew up on Chicago’s south side and in neighboring Hammond, Indiana. Over the course of his life Dan also made his home in North Dakota, Montana, Tennessee, Florida and Minnesota. Dan was a Jack of all trades and often claimed he could fix anything but a broken heart and the crack of dawn, though his only son said ‘well, he could weld it’ as Dan was known as a top-notch welder. After graduating from Hammond Tech High School in 1970, he joined the U.S. Navy and played the bugle in the band. He loved working with his hands and was forever proud of the family home he built in Whitefish, Montana. Dan enjoyed so much in life. He was an avid reader of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction with an extensive collection of well-worn Louis L’Amour novels. He shared his love of music with his children and appreciated when they shared their music interests with him where he discovered his love for ‘Sublime’ which he referred to as “BOOM BOOM” music. He was a fine chess player dueling many friends and family members. Dan also spent many a day playing backgammon, cribbage and throwing dice, as well as working his crossword and sudoku puzzles. He was an entertaining storyteller and a comic, who enjoyed playing pranks on his unsuspecting children and grandchildren who would attest he sometimes went over the top. Politics were a hot topic with Dan and he often sparked debates, recently more heated as Dan was critical of President Trump. Lifelong fisherman, he fished Lake Michigan, Devils Lake, the Red River, in the mountains of Montana, the Gulf of Mexico and numerous other bodies of water in between. He worked at Huddy’s Bait Shop at 7036 Stoney Island in Chicago alongside his father in the early 70’s. Dan often worked the local flea markets selling hand crafted tackle from the bait shop as well as prized finds he scavenged while on his travels. Dan married Traci Friedman in 2004 in Cedar Lake, Indiana. During their marriage Dan and Traci enjoyed tropical cruises, Disney World and Universal Orlando Theme parks and leisurely days under the cabana on the coast of Florida. Though Dan did die of complications from COVID, he suffered the longest from his depression and subsequent addiction to alcohol. A father of 5; Daniel is survived by Colleen (Kirby) Grabow, of Marseilles, IL and Paul Fitzpatrick of Fargo, ND from his first marriage to Bernice LaBelle (proceeds him) and Dr. Angela (Adam Bowman) Fitzpatrick of Toledo, OH, Virginia (Sha) Companioni of North Dakota, and his adopted daughter Destiny (Kevin) Olson of Fargo, ND from his second marriage with Joan (Hogan) Meidinger, his ‘gaggle’ of 13 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Siblings, Dianne (John) Price, Eileen Sanders, Jacquelyn (Ted) Roberson-Hilton, Walton (Carol) Fitzpatrick Jr., John (Janine) Parlich, and Charles Fitzpatrick and many, many nieces and nephews and other extended members of his large clan. Dan is preceded in death by his parents, his third wife Traci (February, 2020), brother-in-law Edward Sanders, nephews Scott Sorensen and Randy Parlich, and a niece Teresa Hooker. May he finally find the peace he has been searching for. (We Love You Dad) Dan’s children are planning a memorial service for the summer of 2021. For more information about the memorial service and to contribute to Dan’s memorial fund please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/danfitzpatrick