Grace Theresa (Veith) Fitzgerald Aug. 17, 1926–July 25, 2015
In July, longtime Parkrose Heights resident and community activist Grace Fitzgerald passed away. She was 89. In 2008, friends, family and neighbors celebrated Fitzgerald for her years of volunteer work with the Parkrose Heights Neighborhood Association. She poses with husband Ed at the meeting.
STAFF/2008
Grace Fitzgerald passed away July 25, 2015 at her home in the Parkrose Heights neighborhood of east Portland. She was born Aug. 17, 1926 to Edward Franklin Veith and Grace Theresa (Redlinger) Veith in Portland.
Fitzgerald’s mother passed away when she was 11 years old, leaving six children—the youngest barely a year old. After a succession of housekeepers, their father decided his children could handle things on their own. As the eldest daughter, Grace was thrust into the role of surrogate mother to her younger siblings.
She attended Immaculate Heart Grade School and Immaculata High School. After graduation, she worked at Remington Rand. In 1946, she met Ed Fitzgerald at Immaculate Heart Parish’s Kiwi Klub. They married Aug. 23, 1947. They moved to Parkrose in 1949 and never left.
Grace had eight children in thirteen years. While her children attended St. Rita Grade School, she volunteered as room mother, hot lunch helper and library assistant.
In his later years, Grace’s father lived with the Fitzgeralds. After his passing, she became involved in several organizations, including the local Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club and the Parkrose Heights Neighborhood Association, where she served on the association’s board, delivered PHAN newsletters door to door and pulled weeds in Knott Park before the area was annexed into the city of Portland. After annexation, Fitzgerald chaired a plant sale resulting in matching city funds that paid for the children’s play area, picnic tables and walking paths at the park.
Grace Fitzgerald was named Senior Citizen of the Year at Mid-county Memo’s Community Awards In 1992.
STAFF/1992
Fitzgerald is credited with helping create what is now the Cherry Blossom Senior Center at the East Portland Community Center. She was named Senior Citizen of the Year at the 1992 Mid-county Community Awards. In addition, after learning how to operate a computer in her seventies, she launched the senior center’s newsletter.
She was an avid walker, mostly at Glendoveer Golf Course’s fitness trail.
She is survived by her husband of 68 years; eight children: Karin Bellcoff (George), Lori Haberman (David), Joan Concannon (Mike), Ed (Kathi), Bob (Chris), Jeanette Moyes (Brad), Mercedes Sherman (Ron) and Matthew (Imelda); 22 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren; sister, Loretta Doran; and brother, Robert Veith. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Edward, Victor and George Veith and great-granddaughter, Vivienne Welter.
Donations may be made to Immaculata-Marycrest Scholarship Fund at P. O. Box 5862, Portland, Oregon 97228.
