William A. Fitzgerald, Jr.

Family, faith and a wicked sense of humor were the values that guided the life of William A Fitzgerald Jr.

Bill was devoted to his family, to his vast community of friends, and to the institutions that helped shape him, but especially to his late wife of nearly 68 years, Nep. Their time together, especially at their beach home in Avalon, NJ, was the stuff of storybook romance.

Bill's unparalleled work ethic and business savvy provided his loved ones with security, while creating a world that was always defined by unconditional love. To know Bill was to know you could count on him.

Born in Camden, NJ, Bill spent his life in the Philadelphia area and was educated in some of its finest schools: Waldron Academy, Malvern Prep, and Villanova University, home to his beloved Wildcats basketball team.

But the salt air of the Jersey shore was never far away and where he always found a lasting peace. It began at his parents' Ocean City, NJ beach home, where Bill became a beach lifeguard as a teenager.

While at Villanova, on a visit to the campus of Bryn Mawr College, Bill encountered a young woman from Jacksonville, Florida. Wisely, he pursued Penelope Holloway, and despite what seemed to be significant cultural differences, married "Nep" after they finished college.

That was the most auspicious of the many shrewd decisions Bill made throughout his long life.

In the Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Bill honed his writing skills as an editor of the "Company Items" with his dear friend Gene Friedman. He suggested his motivation was the call of good journalism, but fellow soldiers suspected it was to avoid kitchen duty. Surviving records are unclear.

More importantly, Virginia is where his first child was born, and after his two-year enlistment, Bill and Nep and baby Laurie returned to Philadelphia.

Bill began working for his father at what eventually became Production Tool & Equipment Co, harnessing his insights into human nature and his skills as a salesman to build the company that would support his wife and his seven children for decades to come. In his interactions with suppliers and customers alike, he was respectful, but more than anything, knew when to compromise and when to walk away.

That confidence in himself was a standard that also defined the many real estate decisions that provided the settings for his family's happiest moments, whether in Haverford or Avalon.

Together with Nep, he saw to it that his children were educated at some of the finest schools in the land, from high school to college and even graduate study.

Along the way, Bill became an accomplished tennis and paddle tennis player, taking up the two sports in his forties and with Nep, becoming part of the competitive teams at the Philadelphia Country Club and the Merion Cricket Clubs. As proof of his grasp of human nature, consider the constant success of his soft, back spinning drop shot - it will catch you off guard every time!

A lifelong season ticket holder of the Philadelphia Eagles, Bill's enthusiasm for most things sporting was eventually rewarded by the successes of 1980 & 2008 (Phillies), 1983 (76ers), and finally, 2017 & 2024 (Eagles).

But those championships never made it onto a banner at Bill's home. They could not compare to the joy the 'Nova Wildcats brought him in 1985, 2016 and 2018. Every home he had was festooned with a blue banner somewhere. And while no one will speak on the record about it, he may even have joined in the celebration of a professional championship in another city, simply because they had three 'Nova grads on the team.

His children, grandchildren and now his great-grandchildren all know who to root for. Even if a diploma from another Big Five school adorns a wall at home.

Bill's 12 grandchildren will tell you, to earn a nickname from their adored 'Godda," was something special. No one in the family was named Charles, but to hear, "OK, Charlie" was to know you were part of a lifelong embrace!

Predeceased by his parents, William and Loretta Fitzgerald, his sister Jeanne Bezer, his son Michael, and his wife Nep, Bill is survived by his sister Katherine Mulcare, his children Laurie Nowlan (Pat), Cathy McAvoy (Norman), Holly Fitzgerald, Bill Fitzgerald (Amy), Carol Fitzgerald, and Bobby Fitzgerald (Luke). In addition to his 12 grandchildren, Bill is survived by 14 great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited on Saturday November 7, 2026 -  Visitation from 9 to 10 AM with Funeral Mass to follow at 10:00 AM at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, 31 Pennswood Rd., Bryn Mawr PA 19010.  Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Villanova University

Riley Hall

800 Lancaster Ave

Villanova, PA 19085

(IHO Wm Fitzgerald '53)