Richard Anthony Fitzpatrick, 87

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Richard Anthony Fitzpatrick — aka "BUD/Big Ugly Dick," "Dicky," "El Gato" and "Fitzy," among other nicknames — died peacefully of natural causes on Sept. 18, 2022, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Husband of Grete Fitzpatrick (1936-2022) and father to Lisa, 54, and Erika, 50, Mr. Fitzpatrick was a Navy Veteran, practicing attorney, beloved educator, Chesapeake Bay and blue crab aficionado, crossword puzzler, handballer, road runner, ukulele and banjo player, and all-around "good egg," as he might say.

Born on Oct. 2, 1934, in Brookline, Mass, and raised in Newton, Mass, Mr. Fitzpatrick was 87 at his time of death, which took place at home surrounded by his two daughters, close friends and dedicated caregivers.

Eugene Pendelton Carver Fitzpatrick and Marguerite Loretta Fitzpatrick (née MacDonald) raised Mr. Fitzpatrick in the Bay State, where Richard graduated high school and earned a bachelor's degree from Boston College.

After Officer Candidate School, Mr. Fitzpatrick in 1956 entered active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy, service that exposed him to a larger world. Following active duty, Mr. Fitzpatrick served in the Navy Reserve, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander.

Mr. Fitzpatrick earned his juris doctorate from the University of Maryland and settled for a time in Washington, D.C., where he met and married Grete, a Danish immigrant, dressmaker and eventual award-winning real estate agent. Living together in the raucous days of the early 60s, Grete would ply guests with "Danish" meatballs doused in barbeque sauce and beer, and Dicky would take to the ukulele to serenade luminaries and laypeople alike.

In between work and parties, he attended Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and solidified progressive political views that he retained until his death.

In 1967, Mr. Fitzpatrick left the military in protest of the Vietnam War and pursued a career in government and the law. After a stint at the Maritime Commission, he joined a D.C.-based law firm.

In one case, Mr. Fitzpatrick's client found himself in the crosshairs of the late Earl Silbert, then the principal assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and later a famed Watergate prosecutor. Mr. Fitzpatrick's successful argument on his client's behalf became an example on the D.C. Bar Exam that year.

While living in the District of Columbia, Grete and Dick would motor with friends and extended family to Maryland's Eastern Shore and to Bethany Beach for beer-soaked crab feasts. They'd often be joined by Richard's oldest brother Eugene ("BUG/Big Ugly Gene"), his wife Norma, and a handful of "Kissin' Cousins." These sojourns were a rite of passage to becoming certified "Children of the Chesapeake." Mr. Fitzpatrick, the youngest of four brothers, was predeceased by Eugene, of Maryland (1926-2016); Don, of North Carolina (1930-2015); and David, of Massachusetts (1933-2018).

The Fitzpatricks gave birth to Lisa, in 1968, and to Erika, in 1972, in Washington, D.C. One year after Erika was born, the family — and the crab parties — moved to North Adams, Mass, a small, former industrial city in the Berkshires. Working from the family's Victorian home on Church Street, Richard practiced real estate law and presided as attorney on many of Grete's land and home deals.

From a home office in the dining room of the cavernous house, Mr. Fitzpatrick would regale his legal clients with humorous tales. Or he'd show them Doug Flutie's maroon and gold Boston College Eagles jersey number, which he had affixed as BC 22 to the side of the house facing the street. He would then take near-daily five-mile runs, often wearing goofily patterned shorts and sometimes carrying a stick to mildly threaten the frustrated dogs (no doubt triggered by his weird athleticwear).

At the house, a creaky 17-room structure that became a character in its own right, Grete and Dick hosted well-attended Christmas parties and socialized with a racially and ethnically diverse group of friends — and never missed an opportunity to get a fix of #1 Jimmies. (Jitter, one of many family dogs — many, for some reason, also named Jitter — would beg for crab meat from under the dining room table.)

In the spring and summer, Dick ran road races; in the fall, he teamed with friends in the Josh Billings Triathlon that finished at Tanglewood; and in the winter, he took his daughters skiing in Vermont. Year-round, he attended school events and athletic contests, wrote letters to the editor to voice opinions about the issues of the day, volunteered in local politics and hung out with fellow Veterans as "athletic director" of American Legion Post 125.

In 1990, the Fitzpatricks moved a final time, to Jupiter, Florida, with dogs Odie and Jitter (the second … or third). Later, they'd adopt dog Molly, who became the best girl of them all. Mr. Fitzpatrick continued in real estate, this time as a teacher, founding a real estate school. Using his encyclopedic knowledge of current events and modern history — and sarcasm-laced humor — he trained thousands of students to become knowledgeable and ethical real estate agents.

In addition to myriad nieces and nephews, Mr. Fitzpatrick is survived by his two daughters, who are now pursuing successful, civically oriented careers. Lisa is a highly accomplished K-5 public educator, teacher trainer and adjunct professor in Palm Beach Gardens who specializes in reading and literacy. Erika is an award-winning writer in Washington, D.C., who specializes in public health- and Veteran-focused communications.

They join a long list of family members, friends, colleagues and acquaintances who will miss and never forget "Big Ugly Dick."

Memorial services will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (https://www.peggyadams.org) and Veterans Matter (https://veteransmatter.org).