BARRY MORGAN FITZPATRICK
December 2, 1938—December 30, 2019
Barry Morgan Fitzpatrick of Rockville, Maryland, passed away on December 30, 2019, due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81 years old.
Barry is survived by his wife, Colleen Kane Fitzpatrick, his two daughters, Amy Ryan Fitzpatrick and Caroline Marie Fitzpatrick (David Gordon Balash), and his granddaughter, Carmen Marie Moreno. He is also survived by his two brothers, Robert Brian Fitzpatrick and James Frederick Fitzpatrick (Annette Michelle Fitzpatrick), and many beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
A native Washingtonian, Barry was born on December 2, 1938, to Georgia DeWolfe Fitzpatrick and Berchmans Tanner Fitzpatrick and grew up in a home his grandfather built in Chevy Chase. He graduated from Blessed Sacrament School, The Georgetown Preparatory School, The University of Notre Dame, and The Georgetown University Law Center.
From 1963 to 1985, Barry practiced law (real estate, finance, and general commercial) in Rockville, Maryland, in law firms bearing his own name and as a founding partner in the Rockville office of Miles & Stockbridge. In 1985, he embarked on a new career, becoming Managing (Development) Partner and Counsel, Mulligan/Griffin and Associates, Inc., and focusing on the fast-track development of signature headquarters and R&D facilities for large technology-driven corporate, institutional, and government clients in Maryland and Virginia. Barry and his partners sold their business to Boston Properties in 1998.
Following the sale of his business, Barry was able to devote himself wholeheartedly to his many other passions. An avid traveler with a fascination for other cultures, Barry visited more than 40 countries, hitting every continent except Antarctica (which he definitely would have gotten to). More than just a conventional tourist, Barry biked, hiked, scuba dived, and fished his way all over the world, often bringing family members and friends along for the ride and always documenting each moment through the lens of one of his beloved Leica (or underwater) cameras.
Barry always seemed to have the inside scoop; he knew how to arrange for the most unique and extraordinary experiences–such as attending the Kandi Perahera (Festival of the Tooth) in Sri Lanka, scoring a private tour of the Sistine Chapel, camping in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, or diving uncharted reefs in Papua New Guinea (one of which now bears his name–Barry’s Reef).
A lifelong angler who learned his love of fishing from his father, Barry could often be found wading the Potomac River for smallmouth bass or fishing the Great Barrier Reef for black marlin or Prince Edward Island for giant bluefin tuna. Barry won his first fishing trophy in 1951 and his final trophy in 2012, on the last fishing trip he was able to take. He set a world record for his 208 lb. broadbill swordfish in 1974. A member of the Ocean City Light Tackle Club since 1971, he fished regularly in the International Light Tackle Tournament Association Tournament, and in his lifetime was proud to have caught ten different billfish species. He became a strong advocate for conservation of both saltwater and freshwater fish, including through worldwide tag and release programs.
Gregarious, generous, and possessed of a mischievous sense of humor, Barry made friends wherever he went–and he went everywhere! He loved his family and held a deep and abiding loyalty to many lifelong friends, taking greater pride in their accomplishments than he took in his own considerable achievements. He was a devoted mentor to many and a quiet philanthropist; even in the face of his diagnosis he found a way to give back–volunteering as a participant in an Alzheimer’s study at Johns Hopkins and taking part in Alzheimer’s walks. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, husband, father, and grandfather, and his family takes solace in knowing that he left very little undone (except Antarctica).
The family will receive visitors on Friday, January 10, 2020, at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd. West, Silver Spring, MD 20901 (Valet Parking) from 3:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial, followed by a reception, will take place on Saturday, January 11, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 5949 Western Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20015. Burial will follow at 2:30 p.m. at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20906.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barry’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/) or The International Game Fish Association (https://igfa.org/). (The IGFA is committed to promoting the enjoyment, appreciation and effective conservation of fish, the sport of fishing and aquatic habitats.)
