Warde Basketball Coach Fitzgerald Loses Battle With Brain Cancer

The Fairfield basketball community lost a dear friend with the passing of Warde boys' coach Walter Fitzgerald, who died Sunday night at a  hospice in Branford after waging a four-year battle with brain cancer. He was only 61.

Fitzgerald served as an assistant for 19 years under current Fairfield Ludlowe athletic director Dave Schulz when the  two men were on the staff at the old Fairfield High School.

Schulz remembers Fitzgerald, one of his closest friends, as a loyal assistant who cared deeply about the kids. Fitzgerald also worked in Fairfield High School's co-op system.

"We have a lot of memories together," Schulz said. "We worked very well together. You could always count on him to do what's best for the program, for the kids. Everything he did was for the kids."

Schulz also recalled a man with a strong sense of humor who thought "he was the funniest person in the world."

"He would break into his tunes every now and then," Schulz said. "A tune would pop into his head and he'd just start singing. As much as I enjoyed coaching basketball, what really made it special was coach Fitzgerald, the relationship we had, how we worked with the kids. I'll never forget it."

In 2006, Fitzgerald came out of retirement to begin his head-coaching career at Warde after then-Mustangs coach Jeff Seganos stepped down.

Fitzgerald perservered despite losing his first 56 games at Warde. His first win as a head coach came on February 10, 2009, when the Mustangs beat archrival Ludlowe.

He showed great courage during his tenure at Warde as he continued to coach after being diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2006.

Despite his worsening condition, Fitzgerald coached the Mustangs during the entire 2009-10 season, guiding them to a 9-12 record and a berth in the state tournament.

"This year, while he couldn't really be vocal and couldn't speak, he was out there for those kids," Schulz said. "He taught them a lesson about life and finishing something that you started. Those kids at Warde were lucky to have him."  

Services for Fitzgerald will take place at the Larson Funeral Home in Bridgeport. The wake will be Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. The funeral is Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony's Church in Fairfield.