It's with great sadness that I report the sudden passing of a member of our extended festival family. Tim Fitzgerald, the man behind the music and one of the leaders of the Irish Fair of Minnesota died unexpectedly yesterday afternoon. Fitz was a fixture at our festival directors' conferences through the years and at many Irish festivals, including ours here in Kansas City. He could always be counted on for a tip on a new must-book band and for a beautifully sung song of his own at a late night session.
All of us at the Kansas City Irish Fest offer our deepest sympathy to Tim's family and all our friends at the Irish Fair in Minnesota. Fitz will be missed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Addendum, 3/7: Newly posted, there's a very nice tribute to Fitz here.
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8 comments:
This is terrible news.
Tim was a wonderful man.
He was 'always there' at KCIF. I remember spending time with him each and every time we have been able to attend KCIF. A nicer man you could not hope to meet.
He had such a great 'vision' for the Ceol in the Twin Cities area and was constantly pushing forward up there to make that 'vision' a reality. The Minnesota Irish Fair on Harriet Island in St. Paul is now one of the most highly respected Irish Festivals in the country and it still remains FREE TO THE PUBLIC, thanks to Tim's vision and efforts.
Many a band has Tim to thank for their success. More often than not... an appearance at the Minnesota Irish Fair was the 'ticket' to an appearance at the famous Milwaukee Irish Festival and onward from there.
He was also a piper and a singer and the host of the famous 'Piper's Chair' concert series.
The news broke around 6:00 PM yesterday over on FaceBook but there are still no details as of Thursday afternoon. The only information I can find about 'what happened' is a posting from Chad McAnally on the 'Center for Irish Music' Facebook page which reads as follows...
[snip]
Not sure on details (regarding Tim's death). He had been fighting a cold type bug but on Monday seemed in fine spirits. We are still in shock, to put in mildly. Fitzy will be sorely missed.
[/snip]
If anyone knows anything more about what happened it would be nice to know.
Rest in Peace, Tim.
Gone too soon.
You will be missed.
Kevin Kiley
In all my years in this business I've met precious few who could match Tim's passion for this music. Gone too soon indeed.
Followup, late Thursday night.
There hasn't been much of anything new all day about what really happened to Tim but the reason is that it's still actually a bit of a mystery. As of this moment, no one really knows exactly what happened. All anyone seems to know is that he was seen on Monday recovering from a head cold but 'in good spirits' and the next thing anyone knew was that he was found dead at his home on Wednesday afternoon.
Maggie Howard posted the following response on the TCIrish FaceBook page around 11:30 PM Thursday night in response to a posted question "Does anyone know what happened to Tim Fitzgerald?"...
[snip]
Tim had had a head cold this weekend, don't yet know if that played a role or not. He was found in his bed wed afternoon. Best guess is he passed in his sleep mon night/ tues am as he did not answer when a guest from Ireland arrived tues evening.
[/snip]
There are still no official announcements regarding funeral arrangements. They are probably still trying to determine the cause of death.
This is all very sad.
Poor Fitz.
His Irish Pub "Kieran's" was all scheduled to open in a brand new location in Minneapolis just a week from now on March 12.
http://www.kierans.com/
Memorial Service for Tim Fitzgerald...
Maggie Howard posted details about a planned service for Tim about an hour after the last posting.
Here is what she posted on the TCIrish ( Twin Cities Irish ) FaceBook page...
[snip]
Here's the info I have:
Sunday, March 14th, 2010.
A Gathering at 3:00 PM CST
followed by a Celebration at 4:30 PM at the
Thomson-Dougherty Mansion
2535 Park Ave, Minneapolis. Then off to Kieran's Pub.
[/snip]
It is still unclear if this is the actual funeral service but there is still no official obituary, either, which will probably have those details when it appears.
Here's the latest:
Gathering of Family and friends Sunday, March 14, 2010 beginning at 3PM with a Celebration of Timothy's life at 4:30PM at the Thomson-Dougherty Mansion 2535 Park Avenue in Minneapolis.
There will be a celebration (big one) of Fitz's all too short life at Kieran's following the service. Musical Instruments, voices, poems, stories and reflections will be appreciated by the family and the entire community that has been touched by his selflessness and passion for Irish culture.
An official short notice will appear in the newspapers this Saturday and a longer one on Sunday.
An Autopsy is be preformed today. The family has decided on a cremation following a private family viewing, early next week.
Along with Jim Anderson, I have been running the main stage for Fitz for quite a while and have had the oppertunity to become his friend outside of the music. The fair will never be the same without him but we have learned from his passion and drive. He set the bar at nothing less than excellence and we will not let him down.I have no doubt that we shall feel his presence for years to come.
Mike Romine
I went to high school with Tim. He was a vital little son of a gun.
Kieran Folliard introduced me to Fitz while making plans for the new "Kieran's" space. I have never met a nicer, more welcoming man. My heart is broken today learning of his passing. He will truly be missed by a new friend.
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