North Shore Death Notices: Aug. 19 To Aug. 25

The following death notices were added to funeral homes serving the North Shore area in the past week. Those homes have provided obituaries for some of those that have passed away recently. Patch offers condolences to their loved ones, links to their obituaries and notices of upcoming services below.

Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home, 1787 Deerfield Road in Highland Park

Leona Ponsi, 94, Highland Park
Visitation and service Aug. 27

June G. Mininni, 94, Deerfield

James A. Threatte, 75, Lake Forest

Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home, 858 Sheridan Road in Highwood

Victoria Feldiorean, 83, Chicago
Service Aug. 26

Angel L. Rivera, 46, Waukegan
Services pending

Roland H. Fritz, 83, Lincolnshire

Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Helen Lexier, 93, Northbrook
Service Aug. 26

Harvey H. Siegel, 87, Evanston
Service Aug. 26

Peter S. Knobel, 76, Evanston
Service Aug. 26

Robert Pearlstein, 70, Northbrook
Service Aug. 26

Jeffrey Brown, 52, Des Plaines
Service Aug. 26

Max Dolins, 96, Highland Park
Service Aug. 27

Sara Silverstein, 94, Northbrook
Service Aug. 27

Manuel M. Roth, 84, Wheeling
Service pending

Gertrude Cooper, 91, Skokie

Lois Kanne Warshaw, 91, Lincolnshire

Diane Kessler, 82, Flossmoor

Gary Blank, 75, Northbrook

Julie Ann Wellisch, 53, Buffalo Grove

Suzanne A. McDevitt, 48, Northbrook

Jacob Robert Dee, 41, Washington, D.C.

Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home, 111 Skokie Blvd. in Wilmette

Klavdiya Asetova, 90, Deerfield
Service Aug. 27

Benjamin C. L. Bland, 81, Lincolnwood
Service Aug. 27

Bertha Edelheit, 100, Chicago

Jacqueline Surkin, 95, Skokie

Mark B. Spitz, 91, Highland Park

Edwin H. Mann, 89, Wilmette

Marvin D. Berman, 88, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Joan L. Gutterman née Levey, 88, Highland Park

Donnellan Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

John S. Shea, 86, Chicago
Visitation and service Aug. 30

Stella N. O'Brien, 77, Evanston
Visitation Aug. 31

James M. Fitzgerald, 89, Northbrook
Service Sept. 4

Mary McConville Joyce, 81, Winnetka

John Elsner Nickel, 68, Evanston

Margaret Madonna Oswald, 55, Evanston

Haben Funeral Home, 8057 Niles Center Road in Skokie

Ronald L. Groh, 81, Skokie
Visitation and service Aug. 26

Harvey E. “Peter” Salmon, 52, Skokie
Visitation and service Aug. 26

Susan E. Whittaker née Ewald, 84, Northbrook
Services pending

Simkins Funeral Home, 6251 Dempster St. in Morton Grove

Richard E. Norton, 73
Visitation Aug. 28, service Aug. 29

Theresa Martha Slosar née Caluwe, 95, Morton Grove
Visitation and service Sept. 14

Featured Obituary:

James M. Fitzgerald was known as “Fitz” to his friends, “Da/Dad Fitz” to his 3 children and “Pappa” to his 3 grandsons. He was orphaned at the age of 12 when his father, a Chicago Fireman, was killed in the line of duty. Fitz went from St. Jude’s Seminary to De La Salle Institute and then into the 101st Airborne. He went on to became a publishing executive at Hearst Magazines, Vice President of Marketing at the Wirtz Corporation, and Executive Vice President of Flair Communication Agency, where he co-founded the Chicago Marathon Race with Mayor Richard J. Daley and Lee Flaherty and helped to build the agency to the Promotion Agency of the Year. He was an active board member of St. Bride’s Alumni Association.

For over fifty years Fitz was closely associated with the Wirtz Family, the Wirtz Corporation and the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. His Hawks marketing credits include: “Here Come the Hawks”, the National Anthem “Sing-Along”, Cold Steel on Ice®, Hawkvision and the “Remember the Roar” video. Fitz also developed instant replay on radio and facilitated radio & TV play-by-play partnerships with Chicago media. His NHL credits include helping change and equalize the amateur draft, helping to facilitate the NHL headquarter move to New York City and redesigning NHL and NBA souvenir game day programs.

Fitz enjoyed writing poetry and his “Infatuation or Love Poem” is in the National Library of Poetry. An avid sportsman, Fitz played on the 101st Second Army Basketball Championship team. He joined the Chicago Yacht Club in 1953 and was foredeck captain on Freebooter. Freebooter was a 10-meter cutter was awarded the Rayona trophy for winning the Mackinac Race. He and his team set a speed record for crossing a major body of water and was featured in a Sports Illustrated article. He was also a charter member of The East Bank Club.

In 1959, Fitz joined Exmoor Country Club and became an ardent golfer. He was a two-term Vice Chairman of Golf with his wife Jane (Haggerty). He and Jane won the Benedict Cup; he won father & son events with both sons Gil and Mark, was a semi-finalist in the Club Championship and won the Heritage Cup and more.

Fitz helped establish and fund the Prentice Women’s Hospital & Maternity Center. He served from 1963 to 2007, when he retired as President. This volunteer work was performed in honor of his mother, who died giving birth when Fitz was 8 years old. Fitz took great pride in his relationship with Prentice and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he helped raise millions of dollars and launched the Friends of Prentice, which is an organization that works in partnership with Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital to fund innovative and leading-edge research and clinical initiates that benefit the lives of women and infants. He also contributed to the start-up of the long-running successful Gold Coast Fashion Awards. Additionally, Fitz helped facilitate the dedication of Chicago Fire Department’s Wall-of-Fame that honors fireman who have died in the line of duty.

Fitz survived three serious bouts with cancer and a total laryngectomy, yet he still maintained his quick Irish smile and laughter with a positive attitude and generous nature. Many called him Sunny Jim and friends received birthday and Christmas cards every year and he always signed his communications with a big smiling face. In addition to Gil (Betsy), Sheila and Mark (Laurie), Fitz is survived by three grandsons, Gilbert Foley, Brian Charles and Henry Ryan Fitzgerald. He is also survived by nieces, nephew and their children.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you send donations in the memory of James M. Fitzgerald To: Chicago Blackhawks Charities, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago, IL 60612-2459

A memorial mass will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019 at 4 p.m. at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Catholic Church, 191 Linden St., Winnetka

Last week: North Shore Death Notices: Aug. 12 To Aug. 18