Michael Joseph Fitzpatrick

West Point, 1987

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Marty Holland on January 18, 2017:

I was fortunate enough to have several classes with Mike over the course of our four years at West Point. The one that I will always remember, however; was "Law" our Firstie year. Just as "LA Law" was entering our consciousness (especially since we had "Dayroom Privileges") and long before "Ally McBeal," "Boston Legal" or other hit series made "Law" interesting or fashionable, having Mike in the class made it enjoyable and entertaining for the rest of us and it was the one "core course" that most of us actually looked forward to as we inevitably focused on the Capstone Design Projects, Senior Theses, and other demanding requirements of our respective academic majors. I couldn't tell you who the instructor was (sorry), but I can assure you that we all benefited from Fitzie's wit, intellect, and keen sense of humor. I got to spend more time with Mike at the Field Artillery Officer's Basic Course (OBC) and post-Desert Storm at the Officer's Advanced Course (OAC). In subsequent years, as we continued careers and raised families, we exchanged e-mails and phone calls a couple of times a year and we saw each other at re-unions, weddings, and infrequent gatherings. As John Sipes insightfully observed, Mike would always pick-up the conversation as if we had seen each other the day before. There is an old Irish saying "If you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough." As I reflect back on all of the fun we had with Mike, I would modify that statement with "If you were lucky enough to know Mike Fitzpatrick, then you were lucky enough." Fitzie, you will be missed and remembered by all who were lucky enough to know you.

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