1930-2015

Brother-Kenneth-Fitzgerald

Words of Remembrance for Brother Kenneth Fitzgerald, FSC

Given by Brother David Van Hollebeke, FSC
March 9, 2015
Mass of Christian Burial
Manhattan College, Chapel of De La Salle and his Brothers

I was very hesitant to respond when Brother Timothy Murphy asked me to say a few words about Brother Kenneth. Ken was a giant of a Christian Brother – one of the most dynamic and famous of our DENA District. So … I will give this a try.

A long time ago Jesus was with his disciples and said he was going to give them a model of what they should be! To their surprise he set a little child in their midst. A child is innocent, honest and playful. God sent Ken into our midst: a man-child who was innocent, honest and certainly playful.

To what can I compare Ken? I thought of a diamond, a jewel. A diamond is multi-faceted. At each turn one sees a different aspect can be observed. No side is the same. But a diamond is cold, it gives no warmth, has no color, and it appears to be too perfect. One puts a diamond away in a safe place. So that wouldn’t work! To me, Ken was a quilt. Quilts are made up of a number of pieces of cloth, some colors solid, some are plaids, but none are the same. Yet, when put together, it is beautiful. One loves to hold it, wrap oneself in its warmth. It comforts one who is cold. The older the quilt gets the more pleasure it gives. I would like to share some of the pieces of the life-quilt that was Brother Austin Gerald, aka Brother Kenneth Fitzgerald.

Please go back with me to December 31, 1929. Mrs. Fitzgerald’s time is ready. The family has no car. She calls a cab. The questions are: Did she give birth in the cab or in the hospital? And did she give birth on December 31 or January 1? Well … Ken chose January 1 as his birthday because the 31st was the end of something and the 1st was the beginning of something new. Besides, January 1 was a day of parties and Ken always loved a party!

Another piece of our quilt … The Fitzgeralds lived in the Bronx and Ken first met the Christian Brothers at St. Raymond’s grammar school. When it was time for high school Ken knew that his family could not afford to send him to a Catholic high school. But Ken learned that the Brothers had a high school out in the country. Just think, he could experience fresh air, trees, and other young boys for participating in sports! And he learned that the Brothers who taught there were some of the best teachers. He would get three meals a day. And the cost for all this was only five dollars a month! So off Ken went to Barrytown, NY.

After high school, Ken entered the novitiate, then took the Brothers’ habit, and became known as Brother Austin Gerald. When he completed his novitiate year, he was off to The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. to study mathematics and physics. After completing his bachelor’s degree with honors he was sent to teach in the grammar schools. A sample of Ken’s schedule:

5:45 am Morning Prayer
6:30 am Mass in the Parish Church
Back to the Brothers’ House for Breakfast
8:15 am Meet 50 Sixth Graders at School for Morning Line-Up
Then Up to the Classroom
Prayer
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Sing: God Bless America
Teach: English, History, Spelling, Geography, Mathematics (fractions, decimals, percentages – but no calculus or differential equations!), Penmanship (the Palmer Method).
2:30 pm Off with the Robe and over to Central Park or Riverside Park for roller hockey, flag football, softball, basketball …

A full day with his boys … and he loved it! After two years of this Ken was sent to La Salle Academy, Second Street, in New York City.

The superiors recognized Ken’s ability and sent him back down to Washington, D.C. to get his doctorate in mathematics and computer science. After obtaining his doctorate he was sent to Manhattan College and joined his beloved mathematics department where he taught and also served as department chair. His favorite saying was: “All learning is self-learning.” His favorite course to get this across was Probability. He would enter the classroom, put down his green cloth on the desk, take out his roulette wheel, put on his green eye shade, and say: “Gather round boys and girls. Place your bets.” Around went the white ball, followed by groans from the class. Guess who won? It was the house, aka Brother Kenneth, who raked in dimes and nickels. The money went, not into Ken’s pocket, but into the poor box. I repeat: “All learning is self-learning.”

Another piece of our quilt … I suspect Ken would have liked to major in engineering because he was a builder, a fixer. It could be the ceiling in the Barrytown dining room or electrical work in Alaska with Brother Peter Hender. It was in Alaska that he grew his famous black beard. When he returned to Manhattan College he delighted in saying that his students thought they had a visiting professor. He kept them fooled for three days with that beard and his German accent. Some of you may have gotten one of his famous Christmas cards with of picture of him sporting that black beard.

One of Ken’s favorite projects was De La Salle Hall, our nursing home in Lincroft, NJ. In older days the retired and infirmed went to Barrytown, NY. Small rooms, like cells, consisted of a bed, desk and a sink. Common showers and toilets were down the hall. The community room and dining room were dark and stark. But the construction of De La Salle Hall, under Ken’s supervision, contained large airy rooms with private showers and toilets. The rooms looked out onto green lawns and trees. There was a large chapel and community room with plenty of gathering space. This was Ken’s pride and joy!

Now Ken was not all work and no play. He loved skiing during winter breaks along with Manhattan College students and faculty up in Vermont, shouting loudly as he raced down the hills. This followed by singing, dancing and story time in the evenings. But his favorite vacation was golfing with three other Brothers in Myrtle Beach each May. Early morning golf was followed by vodka and tonic and lunch, a nap, then beach time.

Although Ken golfed in California, Ireland and Scotland, his favorite spot seemed to be up at our A-Frame in Corinth, NY … a big breakfast, golf at 10:00 am, a nap, a swim in the Hudson, cocktails at 5:30 out in the back (about 25 feet above the river), snacks by Jerry Sullivan, side cars by Ken the mixologist, and dinner by John Muller and myself. Even over the past four years when his legs began to give out, he would ride a golf cart with John and me, stop twenty yards from the green, chin up, walk, and putt out! He always managed to have a good day in the fresh air while joking with us.

And his beloved New York Giants … he loved them … sitting in the bitter cold early in the season on the bleachers at the old Yankee Stadium, bundled up, a little flask of side cars in hand, yelling until he was hoarse.

I will stop here. I am sure others could add even more pieces to our warm, colorful quilt of Brother Kenneth Fitzgerald’s life. Remember that the quilt is made up of many pieces. But it was held together by Ken’s love of being a Christian Brother. Even more was Ken’s love of prayer. He always insisted on community prayer! Ken was a man of prayer: Morning Prayer, Mass, Evening Prayer with the Bothers. Then, in his room, he read, meditated, and continued to talk to God.

We Brothers have a great tradition of ending our work and prayer with the beautiful words: “Live Jesus in our Hearts”. And the response is: “Forever!” So, Ken, we believe you are here with us at this moment. Please know that we will always keep you in our thoughts, in our prayers, and in our hearts … Forever!

Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Br. Kenneth Fitzgerald, FSC

Born Kenneth Edward Fitzgerald in New York, NY, on January 1, 1930

Entered the Barrytown, NY, Juniorate on September 7, 1943, and, Novitiate on June 25, 1947

Received the Religious Habit and Name, Brother Austin Gerald, on September 7, 1947

Pronounced Perpetual Vows in Hillside Hall, Troy, NY, in 1955

 

 

Br. Kenneth died at Riverview Hospital, Red Bank, NJ, on March 4, 2015

 

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Viewing from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Wake Service at 7:30 pm)

Christian Brothers Community, Chapel of St. Benilde
4415 Post Road
Bronx, NY  10471-3499

Monday, March 9, 2015

Viewing from 9:00 am – 9:45 am
Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am

Manhattan College, Chapel of De La Salle and his Brothers
4513 Manhattan College Parkway
Riverdale, NY  10471-4099

Burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Valhalla, NY

 

SUFFRAGES FOR OUR DECEASED BROTHER KENNETH

District: 50 masses
Manhattan College Community: 30 masses
Each community in the District: 1 mass

Brother Kenneth died from complications of a stroke.  May he rest in peace.

Assignments

1952-1954    
teacher
New York, NY
Holy Name School

1954-1955    
teacher
New York, NY
La Salle Academy

1955-1958    
teacher
Barrytown, NY
St. Joseph Juniorate

1958-1969    
professor and construction supervisor
Washington, D.C.
De La Salle College

1969-1970    
writing dissertation
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1969-1987    
professor (Residence: Chapel Farm)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1987-1988    
professor (Residence: Sacred Heart, Yonkers)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1988-1989    
professor (Residence: St. Raymond’s)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1989-1991    
professor (Residence: Good Shepherd)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1991-1994    
professor (Residence: Paramus Catholic, NJ)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1994-1996    
professor (Director: Christian Brothers Center)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

1996-2004
Part-time professor (Director: CBC)
Bronx, NY
Manhattan College

2004-2015    
resident
Bronx, NY
Christian Brothers Center

2015-2015   
resident
Lincroft, NJ
De La Salle Hall