RICHARD FITZSIMONS: Keeping Life
Fresh
Richard
Fitzsimons, of Lynbrook, N.Y., kept his Irish roots well
watered. For him, a visit to Ireland was going home, said
Colleen, his daughter. He last saw Dublin in the summer,
when he ate, drank and danced for 13 hours to celebrate a
niece's wedding.
At home, he kept busy. In his job as a fire safety
inspector at the World Trade Center, he conducted drills
and planned evacuations. He was, Ms. Fitzsimons said,
almost certainly "saving people right from the
start."
Mr. Fitzsimons golfed and coached a working men's ice
hockey team. He belonged to the Ancient Order of
Hibernians and had studied Gaelic with Patricia, his
wife.
At 57, he was keeping his life interesting by starting
fresh. He was toying with the idea of another career as a
guidance counselor or as a travel agent. Two years ago,
he began taking piano lessons. He and his wife would
spend evenings at home, singing old tunes while he played
along.
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