Keith "Doc" Fitzpatrick 1926 - 2008

FITZPATRICK, FOX

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/4/2019 at 20:09:46

Sioux City Journal
3 October 2008

NORTH SIOUX CITY -- Keith Fitzpatrick, 82, of Mitchell, S.D., formerly of North Sioux City, died Friday, Sept. 26, 2008, at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Danbury, Iowa. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell.

Keith "Doc" Fitzpatrick was born in Stevens, S.D. (North Sioux City) on May 20, 1926. He attended and graduated from Sacred Heart Grade School in 1939 and Trinity High School in 1943. The Queen of Peace at Trinity Heights now stands on the site of Trinity High School in Sioux City.

He served in the Pacific during World War II, participating in among other things the invasion of Okinawa as a member of the U.S. Navy. He was honorably discharged in 1946. He attended South Dakota State University for a year before transferring to and graduating from Morningside College in 1950. He served as the athletic trainer for the Sioux City Soo's baseball team from 1950 to 1953. He then attended graduate school at the University of Iowa, receiving a certificate of physical therapy in 1954.

He married Shirley Mae Fox on April 23, 1954 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Sioux City. Shortly afterwards, he began work at Creighton Memorial Hospital's polio epidemic ward until he moved his new family to Mitchell in 1955. He became the chief physical therapist at St. Joseph's Hospital. He continued at St. Joseph's until 1993. During those years, he also was the physical therapist for St. Benedict's in Parkston, S.D., and various nursing homes in Mitchell, Tripp and Armour, S.D. In 1993, he began full-time at St. Benedict's and continued work there as the chief physical therapist until shortly before his death.

He also resumed his career as an athletic trainer in 1957 at Notre Dame High School and continued there until the school closed in the spring of 1970. He continued his love for sports, coaches and athletes at Mitchell Senior High School in the fall of 1970, where he remained head athletic trainer until 2000. He continued to be involved part-time until 2006.

He also was scoutmaster and committee member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 72 for 20 years. He also served as president of the P.T.A. at Holy Family, president of the Notre Dame School board, president of the South Dakota Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association and president of the South Dakota Chapter of the National Trainers Association.

He was a member of the South Dakota Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, the South Dakota Physical Therapy Association Hall of Fame, the National Athletic Trainers Association District V Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his six children, Michael (Rosemarie) Fitzpatrick of San Marcos, Texas, Patrick Fitzpatrick of Estelline, S.D., Shaun (Jane) Fitzpatrick of Brookings, S.D., Timothy (Cindy) Fitzpatrick of Alexandria, S.D., Kelly Fitzpatrick of Sioux Falls, and Maureen (Steve) Koch of Mitchell; 10 grandchildren, Cassidy, Alison, Trevor, Rian, Patrick Jr., Jonathon, Riley, Cassie, Shannen, Jaden and one on the way; three great-grandchildren, Mara, Connor and one-week-old Fey; and his friend, Marcella Heitzman of Parkston, S.D.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold in 1929 and Evelyn in 1996; his wife, Shirley in 1990; his brother, Earl in 1994; and his granddaughter, Samantha in 2006.

A memorial fund has been established to the Keith "Doc" Fitzpatrick Scholarship of the Mitchell Community Scholarship Fund.