Fitzpatrick, James R.

James R. Fitzpatrick, 68, of 423 Drake St. SW, died Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, from a short illness at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City. Services: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids. The family will greet friends from 9 until service time at the funeral home on Tuesday.

Survivors include his wife, Alice; mother, Eleanor Fitzpatrick of Waverly; children, Christine (John Gallo) Bontrager, Lori (Trent) Avis, Sarah (Jeff Stolba) Fitzpatrick, all of Cedar Rapids, and Jeanne Bluml of Canada; grandchildren, Zachary Bontrager, Brooke Rohn, Tanner Rohn, Brooklyn Avis, Faith Slaton, Haley Slaton, Lexi Bell, Ella Stolba and Amber Bluml; one great-grandchild; two sisters, Barbara (Keith) Verberg of Hospers and Mary Dunkin of Waverly; and one brother, Thomas Fitzpatrick of Waverly.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, Vern; and brother-in-law, Pat Dunkin.

Born May 16, 1943, in Waverly, Iowa, Jim was the son of Thomas Vern and Eleanor (Ensign) Fitzpatrick. On Dec. 29, 1967, he was united in marriage to Alice Long in Iowa City. Jim served in the National Guard. In the 1970s, he owned Jim's Skelly, then was the owner/operator of JRF Transport and later worked for Kirkwood Estates.

Jim was a jack-of-all trades and loved working on cars and playing at the casino.

Instead of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Jim's memory.

Please sign the online guest book for James at  under obituaries.

Published Jan. 16, 2012, in The Gazette