Dr. John Joseph Fitzgerald I, 69, unexpectedly passed away Monday, October 24, 2016 at his home in Brookings, SD. John was born on September 12, 1947 to John Edwin and Bernadine Elizabeth (Meyman) Fitzgerald in Wayne, PA, the 2nd oldest of four children.

John was an active Boy Scout in his youth, earning the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He was involved in athletics in junior high school, high school and college (track and field and football) and was a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, MN in 1965.

He continued his studies at St. John's University (Collegeville, MN) and graduated in 1969 with a B.A. in Chemistry and obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in 1973.  He was a long-time, tenured Professor of Chemistry at two different higher educational institutions in South Dakota – the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) – and was also a member of the American Chemical Society.  He also taught chemistry for several years at the Garden City Community College in Garden City, KS before retiring in May, 2012. He was a respected teacher who impacted thousands of students over a 30+ year career.  In addition to teaching, John was a published researcher and an international expert in aluminum chemistry and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of inorganic materials.

John was a devoted  father and actively involved in both his community and his children's and grandchildren's' lives, serving as Boy Scout Troop Scoutmaster (Troop 44), softball coach, baseball umpire, swim meet referee, camping/hiking guide and tutor.   He taught his children the importance of education, the sciences, the outdoors and belief in God and family.  Besides his own children, he touched many other lives through both his teaching and volunteer activities.  He most recently served as a member of the Brookings Kiwanis Club.

John is survived by his son John (Ella) Joseph Fitzgerald II; daughters, Lisa Anne (Mario Brown) Fitzgerald-Swenson and JoAnne Carol Fitzgerald; grandchildren, Daniel and Andrew Swenson, Lia and Maya Fitzgerald; brother, Paul Fitzgerald; sister Catherine Berg; nephews Michael Fitzgerald and Anthony Berg; and numerous cousins and other relatives. John was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Carol Ann; and grandson, James Allen.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2016, at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Brookings with Father Terry Anderson officiating. The family will greet friends from 5-8 p.m. on Friday with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Eidsness Funeral Home.  Memorials are preferred to the family which will be given to Oakwood Lakes State Park in memory of John.