He was a man whom God blessed with a great intellect, a dry sense of humor, and a generous spirit. All the communities that Father Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J., touched during his life will miss him dearly.
After battling ALS for two years, Fr. Fitzgerald passed on September 17, 2016, at the age of 58. Having been a Jesuit for 36 years, he made an impact on various institutions, most notably Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and Jesuit High School New Orleans, from which he graduated in 1976. Here at Jesuit Dallas, he taught for his regency from 1984 to 1987 and served as rector from 2003 to 2007. Fr. Fitzgerald was President of Jesuit New Orleans from 2011 to June 2014, when he stepped down upon being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).
He was able to work and build long lasting relationships with many of Jesuit Dallas’ faculty members as he was very involved with the school from the first time he walked in the door in 1984. “I had been at Jesuit for four or five years before Raymond joined the faculty as a scholastic,” said Sheryl Row. “At that particular time, the faculty was quite small because t
he school was much smaller. Consequently, this small core of faculty covered virtually every activity. We chaperoned, headed committees, attended athletic events, sponsored clubs. We were busy people. Having Raymond around helped us get through the long evenings with laughter.”
Jesuit President Michael Earsing noticed Fr. Fitzgerald’s “spirit of generosity,” remembering how he could organize a thoughtful, reflective prayer service in five minutes if the person who was going to do it did not show up. It was an “easy friendship” for Mr. Earsing to have; he and Fr. Fitzgerald shared similar interests, favorite books, and humor. He would help him with his science classes because Fr. Fitzgerald wasn’t a great science person, but “loved blowing things up.” Mr. Earsing attended his ordination and enjoyed having him as rector.
Indeed, he was a truly engaging presence in the classroom. Jack Fitzsimmons ’76, who got 
to know Fr. Fitzgerald through graduates of Jesuit New Orleans at Spring Hill College, observed, “He was a phenomenal classroom teacher… He had a fantastic ability to teach and get his point across to the students.” Fitzsimmons continued to say that he was someone who loved what he did, being spiritual and devoted.
Still, his “sick sense of humor,” as Mr. Earsing put it, was one of his most defining characteristics. “He had a wry sense of humor and was soft-spoken,” said Ms. Row. “Those two traits ensured that many people would miss jokes. He was so intelligent and funny.” Mr. Earsing fondly remembered giving him a drill (non-operational, of course,) to “drill” Latin declensions into his students’ heads.
Fr. Fitzgerald continued to maintain relationships with people even after he left Jesuit Dallas and even after his diagnosis. Ms. Row said that she and Fr. Fitzgerald “would stay in touch over the years and get together when [they] could.” She concluded, “He was a good man, and I will miss him.”
He and Mr. Earsing each became the Presidents of Jesuit Dallas and Jesuit New Orleans in the same year. They would frequently meet, compare notes, and talk about various things when Fr. Fitzgerald visited his mother in Dallas.
Mr. Earsing said that “he was one of the braver guys I know of dealing with [his diagnosis].” He continued, “Fr. Fitzgerald was always a stickler for everything being very precise, especially in serving Mass… When he got the disease, one of the things that he couldn’t do was he couldn’t have the perfection anymore because he couldn’t use his arms. Yet, Fr. Fitzgerald answered the challenge of losing control of his arms (which was unusual as the legs typically are more affected by ALS). He was a great role model for all of us in the way he handled the disease.”
Mr. Fitzsimmons agreed, “Most people in the condition he was could have been very bitter, but he had given his whole life to the Lord… He did it with dignity.”
After his funeral on September 24th, Fr. Fitzgerald was laid to rest at Jesuit Cemetery at St. Charles College and will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.
