John Michael Fitzgerald

John Michael Fitzgerald (Mike), 80, of Naples, Florida, passed away on November 13, 2022, after a brief illness. Born on February 3, 1942, Mike grew up in West Hempstead, New York. As a young man living near the beaches of Long Island, Mike enjoyed digging for clams, serving as a lifeguard during his teenage years, and working as a bar-back at The Gaslight Pub during summer breaks. After graduating from high school, Mike attended the University of Missouri, earning a journalism degree in 1965. He then enjoyed a long and storied career in the advertising and publishing industries, combining knowledge, experience and a true entrepreneurial spirit to form agencies such as G. Carbonara Co. and MFitzCo. Mike lived a full life and was blessed with many tremendous friends and a loving family. A voracious reader, Mike often consumed three newspapers daily. Equipped with a quick wit and sharp tongue, Mike also took great pride in his finely-tuned debating and story-telling skills. Among Mike’s greatest joys, however, was time spent on the golf course or at the club with those closest to him.

As we celebrate and reflect upon the incredible life of John Michael Fitzgerald, we are drawn to the old Irish poem:

I could not stay another day,

To love, to laugh, to work or play;

Tasks left undone must stay that way.

And if my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Dora and John; his brother, Stephen; and his first wife, Bronwyn. He is survived by his wife, Anne; his children, Sean, Christian (Leigh Ellen), Patrick (Shannon) and Leigh Anne Libby (Jeff); and eight grandchildren – John Michael, Jameson, Sadie, Mary, Connor, Lyla, Henry and Lucy.

A private memorial service will be held in Naples.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children Hospitals or to the Ignatius House in Sandy Springs, Georgia online at www.IgnatiusHouse.org/donate.