Obituary for Grover C. Fitzpatrick

Grover Cleveland Fitzpatrick Jr., 74, of Cedar Rapids, entered his rest peacefully—February 26, 2009 after a nine month determined fight against Hodgkin''s lymphoma. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." His wishes to die at home were fulfilled through the capable ministrations of St. Luke''s Hospice and family members. The Cremation Society of Eastern- Central – Western Iowa completed his desire to be cremated. Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday, February 28, 2009 at First Assembly of God in Room 101 on the first floor. Pastor Rick Gail will officiate. Family will greet people an hour before. Grover Cleveland Fitzpatrick Jr. was born the only child of Grover Cleveland Fitzpatrick and Flossie Adelaide (Bitters) on March 6, 1934 in Coffeyville, Kansas. He came to Cedar Rapids in 1971 after the birth of his first grandchild Jason, and received a diploma from Kirkwood Community College in 1978 as a Computer Programming Technician. That love of computers continued through the rest of his life from mainframe, Commodore 64, Apple, IBM PC to whatever was the latest greatest technology. He delighted in helping his family and extended family with upgrades and new systems as his expertise and inventory grew. He was a voracious reader, devouring computer magazines, newspapers, news magazines, and began reading the Bible through in October. Before retirement Grover worked for Yellow Cab as a driver, dispatcher and owner of several cabs, which were either sold to other drivers or recycled to his daughter in LeClaire. He was proud of his position as an intake detox specialist at OMART (during a period when he lived in Arkansas to be near his children and grandchildren); and very proud to be Irish. He married Judy Ann Bringman (Anderfuren) in Harrison, Arkansas, November 27, 1987 and attended and supported First Assembly of God from 1999 to the present. Grover is survived by his wife Judy; four children, Kathryn Sue Barnes of LeClaire, Iowa, Grover Cleveland (Tina) Fitzpatrick III of Cotter, Arkansas, Stephen Russell (Kimberly) Fitzpatrick of Bruno, Arkansas and Linda Gay (Glenn) Voss of Topeka, Kansas; eleven grandchildren Jason (Megan) Jewell (their children Mandy, Jake, Jack and Molly) of Marion, Iowa, Lucas (Amber) Jewell (daughter Abygail) of Yellville, Arkansas, Jesse Marshall of LeClaire, Iowa, Amy (Christian) (theft daughters Rhythm and Ekira) of Yellville, Arkansas, Bethany (Jon) (their daughter Nalah) of Elkins, Arkansas, Rebekah (Matt) Smith (their children Annsley and Parker) of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Sara (Ryan) (their daughters Zoe and Grace), Stephen Caleb Fitzpatrick of Bruno, Arkansas, Nicholas, Michael and Nathan Voss of Topeka, Kansas; thirteen great-grandchildren (including special great-granddaughter Kaitlynn Taylor of LeClaire, Iowa); and Jean Seigel, his first love and the mother of his children. Grover was preceded in death by his parents, his grandmother Lillian Bitters (who lived with the family and helped raise him) and his beloved oldest granddaughter Erika Lynn Jewell who died in a tragic vehicle accident in 1996 at the age of 2l. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St Luke''s Hospice, Anna Ghosh Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or charity of your choice. Special thanks to Grover''s doctors, Justice, Kopec, Paynter, Munjal and Warren and all the nurses and home health workers who assisted in his care. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with comfort we ourselves have received from God "II Corinthians 1:3 & 4. Please leave a message, tribute or memory to Grover''s family by clicking on "Sign Guestbook" below.