Donald Keith ‘Don’ Fitzpatrick was born in Horton, KS and moved to Dalhart, TX, where he spent the first eight years of his life. He then moved to his beloved Glendale, CA in the summer of 1943. As a child during the war years, he worked as a paper boy, box boy, soda jerk, and a movie theater marquee changer. When he was between 9 and 10 years old, he and the family went to the nearby USO to help host and entertain returning GIs. At Glendale High School, Don was honored by being selected as an “All-State” football player. Don began his love for the Army after meeting a next-door neighbor who was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Pacific Theater. Don was very proud to be selected to attend and graduate from West Point in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He also played varsity football at West Point. He chose Armor as his branch of service.
The following career highlights indicate Don’s fulfilling and rewarding accomplishments achieved after his West Point graduation:
1957: Armored Officers Course, Fort Knox, KY
1957: Completed Airborne School, Ranger School and started flight school
1958: Completed Advanced Flight and Instrument School
1959-1962: USAEUR Germany and separated from the Army at Fort Carson, CO
1962-1964: University of Southern California Law School
1966-1970: Los Angeles District Attorney’s office
1970-1972: Private law practice.
1972-1984: Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles County
1985-2000: Senior Law Partner at Mendes and Mount (helped open Los Angeles office)
Don married Sally, his first wife, in 1959, and they had four children: Shawn, now a “techie” for the LDS Church in South Jordan, UT; Brian, an assistant district attorney in Orange County, CA; Kirk, a tenured professor of philosophy at the University of Southern Utah in Cedar City, UT; and SaJo (Sally), a pharmacy representative for Eli Lilly Co. in Southern California. Don had 11 grandchildren, two of whom have followed his love for the military profession: an ROTC cadet at BYU and a granddaughter who graduated from West Point in 2014 (57 years after his own graduation). He is also survived by his sister Patricia Thornton of Gold Hill CA.
In 1986, Don married Kathleen Egan, a neurosurgeon with a private practice in Pasadena, CA, with whom he enjoyed a blissful and happily married life that took them to upstate New York following their retirements. That’s where he became a gentleman farmer, meaning he supervised while his wife raised a herd of 150 Black Angus cattle.
Don also re-kindled his passion for football and basketball by helping out with coaching the local high school teams. Don continued to be a top recruiter for West Point as he tried to get every qualified high school student with whom he came into contact to consider becoming a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy.
All of Don’s family, friends, acquaintances, associates, and colleagues know one precious thing about him: once you know Don, you have a lifetime relationship of camaraderie, joviality, discussion, helpfulness, genuine friendship and “good times” with him. Don always had an upbeat, smiling, good-natured approach to everyone and to every situation regardless of the circumstances.
Don would like to be remembered for loving God, his church, his family, and West Point, whose “Alma Mater” says, “May it be said, ‘Well Done!’” And, so, “Your Honor,” or “Don,” or “Fitz,” or “Dad,” or “Granddad,” or “coach,” it is now said of you “Well done!” And, finally, “Go Army! Beat Navy!”
— Kathleen, Wife, Bill Wright and John Polits, Classmates