Joyce Margaret Rose Larkins Fitzgerald, 77, died, Monday, March 11, 2013 at her home in Oglethorpe, Georgia, attended by loving family members.
Joyce was the first child of John Larkins and Helen Moulton Larkins, born on July 14, 1935, in Sioux City, Iowa. She attended Our Lady of Good Counsel school in Fonda, Iowa, and married Michael E. Fitzgerald on June 19, 1952. They lived with their children in Illinois, Germany, Nebraska, California, and Iowa before moving to Georgia in 1975. She was beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, sister, aunt and great-aunt.
Mrs. Fitzgerald worked for the Procter & Gamble Company in Oglethorpe, Georgia, from 1980 until her retirement in 1998.
Joyce is survived by her husband Michael Fitzgerald of Oglethorpe, son Douglas Fitzgerald of Oglethorpe; daughter Kimberly (Randy) Barron of Joliet, Illinois; son Stanley Fitzgerald of Altoona, Iowa; son Craig Fitzgerald of Ellaville; and sons Kevin Fitzgerald and Brenden Fitzgerald of Oglethorpe. She also leaves behind grandchildren Gretchen Fritz of Plainfield, Illinois; Glynka (Matt) FritzMiller of Gilbert, Arizona; Curtis Culbert of Waterloo, Iowa; Joshua McDill of Charleston, SC; Brenden Fitzgerald, Jr. of Oglethorpe, Georgia; and Ian Conor Fitzgerald of Altoona, Iowa. Joyce also leaves great-granddaughters Elsa and Annika FritzMiller and great-grandson Emory FritzMiller, all of Gilbert, Arizona. Mrs. Fitzgerald was preceded in death by her father, mother and baby sister Delores. She is also survived by her siblings Patricia (Steve) Moore of Rockwell City, Iowa; Phillip (Doris) Larkins of Ankeny, Iowa; Jeanne (Patrick) Condon of Oldsmar, Florida; and Mary Maxwell of Gainesville, Florida; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, as well as dear friends. Joyce was preceded in death by her grandsons Shaun Paul Fitzgerald and Lance Tyler, and her great-granddaughter Annelise FritzMiller.
Mrs. Fitzgerald’s remains were cremated, and there will be a memorial Mass at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Montezuma, Georgia, on Saturday, March 16. A memorial Mass will also be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Fonda, Iowa, in July of this year. Joyce’s ashes will be interred in the plot with her parents at Mount Zion Cemetery in Fonda.