Garrett Fitzgerald

SCARBOROUGH – Friday, April 16, 2021 at 5:10 p.m., Garrett Fitzgerald passed away. He was in the company of his family, Ruby Lee, Tina Cromwell, Peter Fitzgerald, and James Fitzgerald. It was a beautiful day despite the rain, snow and wind typical of April. We listened to Irish music, told stories and were just together to celebrate a great life.

Garrett was born in Dublin, Ireland Feb. 6, 1936. He was raised in Offaly, Ireland and Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland, with his younger siblings Geraldine, Emmett, and Fergus, and parents Joe and Anne. His father was a barman and store owner.

School ended for Garrett at the age of 15 because of a teachers strike. He was employed at the Shelbourne Hotel work program that sent him to work at the Hotel Scribe as a Commis Chef (apprentice) at the age of 19. Sponsored by the Dumphey Group he came to the United States at the age of 20.

He volunteered for the U.S. Army at 21. His basic training was at Fort Benning, Ga. He would write to his mom often and sent her his first grenade from basic training. He served two years stationed in Germany at the same time as Elvis Presley and returned to the United States to work for Friendly’s Ice Cream Parlor as opening manger for new franchises.

Garrett also worked for the Sheraton Ritz Hotel in Minneapolis where he worked with Ruby Andersen who he married. Ruby had a daughter, Kristina “Tina” from a previous marriage. Garrett adopted Tina and had two sons, Peter Lee born Salem, Mass. and James “Jim” Lee born in Portland.

In Boston, Garrett was banquet manager at the Copley Plaza, the Parker House while living in Marblehead, Mass. where he had many lifelong friends.

He was the club house manager at the Portland Country Club for 27 years, one of the longest employed club house managers in the country. Garrett retired from PCC in 1999. He ran the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club with his son, Jim, as chef one summer in 2000.

Garrett enjoyed gardening, growing large crops of heirloom tomatoes, and Bonsai

He retired to Arcadia, Fla. with Charlie, his dog, to the Riverside RV Park where he made many friends, enjoyed walking, dinner parties with friends, seeing a rodeo and park entertainment.

Garrett loved all the staff at the Maine Veterans Home. He spent some time at the South Paris property and transferred to Scarborough closer to his family.

He is survived by sister, Geraldine Mahar, her children Fergus, Anne and Mary; his children Tina, Peter, James; grandchildren Madeline, Michela, Max, Seamus and Ronan.