So sorry to hear about Robert’s passing. He was my stepdad for many years and we were able to reunite a few years ago and had a few laughs.
My hearts are with the family.

Grieving with you as I have lost my longtime friend, confident and buddy. So glad I went down to see him a few weeks before his passing. Praying for the entire family.

A fitting tribute from his sons to their father.

Along with my son and grandchildren, mourning the passing of my college sweetheart. Sixteen years we shared together. Forever young.

We have such fond and loving memories of a wonderful guy. Rest in peace🙏.

Your dad was a wonderful man – full of joy and always “all in” on fun – from making pizza in the huge pizza oven to taking the boat to remote islands for a day of swimming or to a cool waterfront restaurant. Whenever we visited, he and Judy came up with adventures that both Karl and I and our 2 daughters thoroughly enjoyed and remember to this day.

He taught Tyler to fish off the dock, took us on excursions looking for alligators, tossed the girls up in the air in the pool (putting up with their excited shrieking) and got up early to hide Easter eggs for Haley and Tyler in the backyard – it was densely foggy that morning, and the girls were young, so Bob and Judy “expertly” hid the eggs in easy places to find, like the grass or on a pool chair. By the time the girls went “hunting”, the fog had cleared and the eggs were super easily seen in the grass. Bob laughed heartily from the deck as we watched them race around the yard scooping up the eggs. This is a great family memory that all of us still share today. We smile each time we talk about the good times with Bob – all a result of your dad (and Judys) willingness to lean in and make it a great adventure for us and for our kids.

Bobs easy smile and joie de vivre will be sorely missed in the Knapp family.

Missing my brother Rob, who lived wholeheartedly – a family tradition. We collected many wonderful memories together. He surely loved life and all his friends.🦋

In retrospect, during my sporadic visits with Rob and the Fitzgerald family, we didn’t sit down much, but that was the point. It appeared that Rob’s perspective on forbearance was negotiable, and unlikely to be debated. Rob’s father was often on AF temporary duty assignments, and Rob, as the elder sibling, was the designated Fitzgerald mediator even as a young person. Rob was smitten with the concept of horsepower. From piloting wartime cargo or serving as a captain of vessels or vehicles of his choosing, Rob’s respect for the throttle was adept when the tonnage was serious. I also think that at one time Rob owned a sail boat.

In one of my visits to FL, Rob was working with extracting water from the air via an experimental machine. The machine was ostensively for open-water boaters who also enjoyed fresh morning coffee. In principle, the machine used refrigeration and distillation to extract water. It worked best when plugged into shore power, and Rob admitted the seasonal Florida humidity affected the amount of water produced.

My guess is in Rob’s next act, he will play the conscience of a prominent chef, advocating for keeping the menu interesting.

We certainly give thanks for the time we spent with Bob. He loved sharing and caring with all fortunate enough to have known him and spent time with him. He loved his family, friends, and Chofu family.

We shared so many good times together. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bob Fitgerald!! You live on in our hearts and memories for sure. You were a good man with a good heart. I am so glad that you were my friend.

Rest in peace my brother my heart goes out to you and your family Mr Chofu🙏

So sorry to hear about Robert. I hadn’t seen Robert for many years. I worked for him and will always remember him as a generous person. I am so sorry for his family and loved ones. RIP, Robert, and may you fly home to be with your Heavenly Father.

Fondly,
Nancy (Gates) Brown

Bob Fitzgerald was one of those upperclassmen that I admired from a distance at Chofu — I was friends with Paula, but Bob seemed too elevated for me to ever get to know. Years later, I was able to bridge that gap at a couple of Chofu reunions and discovered such an interesting and personable guy, one who looked you straight in the eye and listened to what you had to say. At the the most recent Chofu reunion in Las Vegas, I found myself at a table with Bob for a stretch of time and we conversed in such an easy, friendly way. He was funny, inquisitive, and attentive. It was a genuine pleasure to talk with him that night. I’m forever grateful that I had some time with him.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Bob’s family and friends! He will be missed by so many! Rest in peace!

It has taken me a while to sit down and compose something concerning my thoughts about Bob’s passing. The first and most obvious thought that comes to mind is that we are all in the same boat – and I don’t mean Bob’s boat either – just the boat of life and death in general.

Bob and I both attended Chofu for only one year – our senior year – which is really only nine months of classes. He lived on Kanto Mura and I was on Fuchu, so the only time I actually “saw” Bob, other than in a few classes we had together, was when there was a school sporting event (football, basketball, and baseball) that I would cover as the Norseman sports editor, and not as a teammate or participant. So again, I just “saw” him!

How well can you get to know each other in that short period of time? Not very well!! It was over 25 years ago (in 1998) when Bob and I found each other and “saw” each other again!!! During that quarter century we DID get to know each other and it wasn’t always in a Chofu setting. I miss him now and I’m truly glad that I got to know him over the last third of his life. Rest in peace!!

I only knew Bob when we were at Chofu together in the class of 65. So sorry for your loss. Losing a love one is hard, so know that your family is in my prayers.

I knew Bob from our Chofu years, saying “hi” when we passed in the hallways. My sincere condolences to his family. Rest in peace, and May our gracious Lord grant your family strength and peace as you celebrate his life. On 1/11, my family and I will be celebrating the life of my only son. May God be with us all.

Bob and I were both voted most athletic in our senior year, I’ll always remember him and his out going personality. Rest in Peace Bob, my condolences to your family, you will be missed. May God bless you

Did not know Bob
Very well, but the few times I talked to him,
He always had a positive outlook on life

It’s been a while since Fitz’s passing and it’s still not any easier. Fitz was a major inspiration to me and I’ll never forget him. I’ll leave it at that for now.