William B. Fitzgerald Jr. passed away today in his home in Grosse Pointe. The Fitzgerald's have been close family friends since I have been alive on this earth, and while I don't want anyone to feel bad, I do think it would be interesting for you too take a second and see what this man accomplished at such a young age. Thanks a lot.
Michigan lost one of it's treasures today when Former Democratic Senate Majority Leader William B. Fitzgerald Jr. ,65 years old, passed away Sunday afternoon at his home in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.
William Fitzgerald Jr. was a large, bluff man with a well known Irish charm, and was one of the most visible figures in Michigan politics throughout his time spent in government where he served in both the state House and Senate. Fitzgerald, known by those around him as "Billy Fitz" was a political powerhouse throughout the 1970's and 1980's and became the youngest ever Senate Majority leader at the age of 32. Fitzgerald also ran as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 1978 at the age of 35 years old.
His path in becoming the Senate Majority leader serves as a indicator to just how respected Fitzgerald was in the eyes of his peers. The year was 1970, and Fitzgerald had just won his House seat that had been held by his father, who had died earlier that year of a heart attack. In 1974 , he won the Senate seat which was held by his uncle, George Fitzgerald. Even before he was sworn into the Senate, his fellow Democrats had already chosen him through caucus to become their majority leader, Fitzgerald then 32 became Michigan's youngest Senate Majority leader ever, a record he still holds to this day.
William B. Fitzgerald Jr. pushed through a variety of post-Watergate legislation which is still incredibly effective today. In the post-Watergate era Fitzgerald focused on enforcing more accountability on elected officials. This included requiring public officials to disclose their outside income, passing the state's first statutory code of ethics, and requiring public disclosure of campaign finances. However Fitzgerald was by no means a one lane legislator, he was also responsible for reforming worker's compensation laws to make the state look more attractive to businesses and played a key role in passing Michigan's bottle deposit law.
Mr. Fitzgerald left public service after his second unsuccessful bid for governor, and entered into the private sector where he returned to practicing law and most recently served as a trust fund administrator for a nursing home insurance pool, said former campaign manger Wallace Long of Grosse Pointe.
"He was the most charming and effervescent Irish politician," said Richard Cole, a former Fitzgerald aide. "He was truly bigger than life."
William B. Fitzgerald Jr. is survived by his wife Margaret, and his three children William, John, and Meghan. Additionally Fitzgerald's mother and one brother are still living in the Michigan area.
If you would like to send a message, flowers, or just your condolences to the family please feel free to email me and I will make sure to get it to the family immediately when I return to Grosse Pointe later this week to attend the service. As of right now funeral arrangements are pending however I will post them as soon as they become available.