Robert "Bob" Vincent Fitz-Gerald, Sr.

Robert "Bob" Vincent Fitz-Gerald Sr, 84, of 14 Highland Street Middleboro, MA, a longtime 
resident of Middleboro, passed away peacefully on August 30th, 2025 surrounded by his loving 
family.  Bob was born on June 19, 1941, the eldest son to the late Rita and Lester Fitz-Gerald.  

Bob was raised between Boston Massachusetts and Brooklyn, NY.  At 14 years old he moved to 
Arizona and became a "cowboy".  He worked on a ranch which he enjoyed and spoke of 
drinking the raw milk from old Bessie, eating desert cucumbers while out on the range checking 
fences and how he got his nick name "Boston Blacky."   
 
After earning a GED, Bob enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Benham DD-796.  
Following his service in the Navy, Bob worked as a mechanic and machinist, eventually earning 
an associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Franklin Institute in Boston in 1975.  
 
During the 1960s, Bob worked with a close friend, Carl Whitcomb (Kathleen), operating a garage 
in Boston.  He always worked on his own vehicles and taught anyone within reach to do the 
same. During this time Bob met and married his first wife, Pauline Champagne and in the 
coming years had three children together. 
 
In connection with close friends and neighbors (Tom and Rosalie Perry, Bruce and Victoria Kane; 
Al, Jean, Ed and Ricky Giannelli), Bob met Margaret Bingham.  Bob and Margaret were married 
in 1977, where they continued to raise their family on Highland St.    
 
During his working life, Bob worked as a machinist, apprenticing up to a class-A machinist, tool 
and die maker, and then as a precision jig grinder, operating Moore machines with ease 
(routinely to millions of an inch).  As an engineer, Bob worked in both the production and 
development side of company operations.  Bob worked for several companies during his career, 
the most notable of which were Polaroid (Cambridge, Boston, Waltham, Norwood, 27 years), 
and Johnson & Jonson (Taunton, 17 years).     
 
Bob was a lifetime member of the Old Colony Sportsman Association in Pembroke 
Massachusetts.  In his younger years he was an avid hunter and target shooter, attending 
matches throughout the year and taking home many trophies for his marksmanship for offhand 
shooting at 200 yards, primarily in Schuetzen style matches but he also enjoyed participating in 
military matches, some of which reached out to 600 and 1000 yards.     
 
In 1981, Bob decided he wanted to ride a motorcycle, so he purchased a 1980 leftover Harley 
Davidson FLT from Monty’s.  His friends made fun of him at times because it had a "fixed 
fairing" and was so different than what others were riding.  But he knew the engineering behind 
the design was sound and didn’t care, often riding 25,000 miles/year.  He was a proud and 
founding member of New England Vikings Motorcycle Club where they would go on various 
local rides and poker runs, including 1000 mile / 24 hours endurance ride. 
 
Through these common interests, Bob became close friends to many throughout his life, a list far 
too long for here.  A few of which are Loring and June Hall, Giles and Gert Adams (Ginny), Allen 
and Gene Windsor, Roland and Joan Whitcomb (Joanie), Bobby Whitcomb, Scott and Kymberly 
Ashley (Rebekah, Rachel), Dennis Delleraco, Russel and Donna McDonald, Paul Trudell, Roy Piva, 
Allen Wanson, Larry Bean, Walter Turrel, George Wilson, George Snow, Bob Webster, Kenny 
Johnson, Victor and Carol Sologaistoa, and many, many more. 

During these activities, Bob involved all of his family whenever possible in daily chores, house and 
auto repair, and processing firewood (sometimes willingly, sometimes not…).  The entire family 
spent time at the shooting club, riding around New England on the bike, and stopping at the Hall’s 
for famous “Junie Bread” and tea.  Bob’s main goal was to be a strong provider for his family, 
which he did very well.  Through his work ethic and loyalty, he showed just how dearly he loved 
his family and friends.  In his later years, following retirement, he lived vicariously through the 
successes of both his kids and grandkids.  Marveling at their accomplishments, he loved to sit and 
watch them.    

In addition to his wife of 47 years, Margaret, Bob is survived by his daughter Mary Fitz-Gerald, son 
James Fitz-Gerald (Dana), granddaughter Paulina Fitz-Gerald, and grandsons Noah and Philip Fitz-
Gerald.  Bob is survived by his brothers Dennis Lamb (Martha), Kevin Lamb (Cindy), and Ronald 
Lamb.  Bob is also survived by a host of nephews and nieces: Billy, Kevin, Keri, Lori, Mary, Ronnie, 
Ralph, Mark and Jenn. 

Bob was preceded in death by his first wife Margaret Pauline (Champagne) Fitz-Gerald, parents 
Red and Rita Lamb, Lester and Rose Fitz-Gerald, his brother William Fitz-Gerald and his first son 
Robert V. Fitz-Gerald, Jr.  

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 27th, 2025, at 1:00 P.M at the O'Neill 
Funeral Home, 59 Peirce St., Middleboro Massachusetts, followed by a Memorial Service officiated by 
Jeremy Ervin at 2:00 P.M. 

A reception will follow from 4 until 7 PM in the Old Colony Sportsmen's Association, 159 Forest Street, Pembroke.  

In lieu of flowers, the family thoughtfully requests memorials to Bob be made to the Alzheimer’s 
Association at www.alz.org

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