Barbara Joan (Gurzick) Fitzgerald

Barbara Joan Fitzgerald, 88, of Battle Creek, Michigan, passed away on April 24, 2023.

She was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 26, 1934, to the late William Lawrence Gurzick and Eleanor Rose (Martin) Gurzick. She attended high school at Immaculata High School in Detroit. She was united in marriage with Ronald P. Fitzgerald of Newfoundland, Canada, on September 6, 1958, at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She worked as the Children’s Room Librarian for Willard Public Library for thirteen years. She was a member of Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Battle Creek. She volunteered at Leila Hospital for over twenty years, serving as Leila Follies Chairman in 1978. She enjoyed dancing and was a ballroom dance instructor. She also enjoyed knitting & reading.

Barbara is survived by her loving husband of sixty-four years, Ronald P. Fitzgerald; children, Patricia (Christopher) Sliva, Ronald P. Fitzgerald Jr., Colleen (David) Haesler, Shannon (Mark) Schuring, and Erin (Donald) Rankin; grandchildren, Megan (Alexander) Hill, Laura (Christopher) Cooney, Jennifer (Garo) Danayan, Lauryn (Matthew) Woodruff, Daniel (Merrick) Pitts, Sarah (David) Greenwald-Pitts, John "Jack" Fitzgerald, Sean Fitzgerald, Charles (Sarah) Haesler, Cullen Haesler, Alyson Schuring, Andrew Schuring, Aidan Rankin, Aisling Rankin, and Anya Rankin; great-grandchildren, Keegan, Jace, Maximus, Ava, Connor, Shane, Simon, Catie, and Emily; one brother, Lawrence Paul Gurzick; and son-in-law, Thomas Pitts.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Catherine Marie Pitts; two brothers and one sister, William Gurzick, Shirley Diggs, and Robert Gurzick.

Friends may visit with the family from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at Kempf Family Funeral and Cremation Services, 2838 Capital Ave SW, Battle Creek, MI 49015, where a Rosary Service will be held at 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 1, 2023, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 61 N 23rd St., Battle Creek, MI 49015, where friends may visit with the family from 10 a.m. until time of the Mass. Cremation will follow after the service and private interment will take place later at Ft. Custer National Cemetery in Augusta. Please visit https://www.kempffuneralhome.com to view the online obituary, sign the guest book, and leave condolences to the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Willard Library, 7 W VanBuren St, Battle Creek, MI 49017, https://willardlibrary.org/. For those needing assistance with memorials, please visit the funeral home.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.