Former Bucks County Congressman Remembered As A Guardian Of The Garden

LOWER MAKEFIELD, PA — Gathered in the quiet embrace of the Garden of Reflection, friends and family of the late U.S. Congressman Michael G. Fitzpatrick came together this week to remember a man who left an indelible mark on Bucks County.

A bench bearing Mike's name and the words, "Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace," now sits in a place of prominence in the garden with an unobstructed view of the memorial's twin fountains.

Members of the Fitzpatrick family, including his wife, Kathy, his parents, and his children, joined garden board members to quietly dedicate the bench to Mike's memory and to remember his support and contributions that helped make the garden memorial possible.

Fitzpatrick championed the garden when he was alive securing more than $750,000 for its construction during his first term in office, a monumental fete for a freshman Congressman.

"That very large federal grant enabled us to complete the construction of The Garden and dedicate the memorial for the 5th anniversary of the attacks," said Ellen Saracini, whose husband, Victor, was the captain of United Airlines Flight 175, which was hijacked and flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

"Mike was also instrumental in having the Garden recognized as 'The Official Pennsylvania 9-11 Memorial' to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. And Congressman Fitzpatrick stood side-by-side with Bucks County 9-11 families and with all of our community, working tirelessly to help assist wherever and whenever he could," she said.

Former U.S. Congressman Michael G. Fitzpatrick.

The new bench has been donated by the Michael G. Fitzpatrick Foundation, which was established by his family and friends to honor Mike's legacy of selfless public service. Last fall, the foundation announced the establishment of the Michael G. Fitzpatrick Scholarship, which will benefit the neediest of students at the Bucks County Community College.

According to Mike's father, James, the scholars will be invited to join a Scholars Club, which will act as a Bucks County Peace Corps volunteering for service projects around the county. "One of the things we will make sure they do is volunteer at the garden to keep this place beautiful," he said.

"This is so meaningful for the family," added James. "We can come up here, sit on his bench and we can think about him and about all the other people who lost their lives on 9-11. I think this is terrific," he said. "We'll stop here on our way up to the cemetery to visit him."

Fitzpatrick, who died in 2020 after a courageous battle with melanoma, is buried at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery, a place he fought to establish for the veterans of Bucks County and the Delaware Valley. He served four terms in Congress between 2004 and 2016. Before that, he was a Bucks County Commissioner from 1995 to 2005.

"Mike was special. Mike was special because he made all of us feel special," said his wife Kathy. "He was a great husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He was such a great friend because he listened, he cared and then he acted. This garden is the perfect example. He helped the families. He helped the county, he helped the country to have this place to reflect.

The view of the garden from Mike Fitzpatrick's memorial bench. Looking out over the garden are Mike's wife, Kathleen, and his parents, James and Mary. (photo by Jeff Werner)

"Mike learned at a very early age from very loving parents to be an instrument of peace," Kathy continued. "Everywhere, but especially here, he helped to bring light to the darkness, bring hope to despair. He helped us to have a place to remember our loved ones and not be sad, but instead to reflect on their impact on our lives, to be blessed for having known them even if it was for far too short of a time."

Following her remarks, Kathy invited family and friends to place red carnations on Mike's bench and throughout the memorial garden.

"We consider this a Guardian bench," said Saracini of the newly-installed bench honoring Fitzpatrick. "This is a person who has been so instrumental in our lives, in the Garden of Reflection and beyond. They are on the outer perimeter of the garden looking in and being there as guardians forever."

The garden's other "Guardians" include Bucks County businessman Jim McCaffrey Sr. and Eric Stark, the executive director of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership, both of whom were instrumental in leading fundraising efforts to build the garden. Both McCaffrey and Stark attended the ceremony to remember and to honor Fitzpatrick.

"We are very proud to be able to honor this man who has been so monumental to us and who we all emulate in many forms for having patience, for being there and doing for others before you do for yourself, and just being a loving person to everyone around. That's the man I knew. That was Mike Fitzpatrick," said Saracini.

The Fitzpatrick family at the dedication of a bench memorializing their beloved Michael G. Fitzpatrick. (photo by Jeff Werner)