Obituary of Lucy M. (Verza) Fitzgerald

Lucy M. (Verza) Fitzgerald PEABODY—Lucy M. (Verza) Fitzgerald, 95, passed away on Saturday January 22, 2011 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. A polymath of the arts, she transcended the mediums of painting, crafting, and the written word to produce oil paintings, crafted flowers, nature decorations and collections of short stories. She exhibited in local art shows and symposia. Her inspiration was capturing the gem of the natural world in a moment to savor the universe in a glimpse. A passionate reader of English literature, she was happy to convey her findings to students and enthusiasts alike. Born in Peabody, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Teresa (Bertoldi) Verza and the wife of the late Richard W. Fitzgerald, a 50-year employee of the Salem Evening News. A graduate of St. John’s School and St. John’s High School in Peabody, she attended Boston University and was a member of the Emmanuel College Class of 1937. As President of the Literary Society at Emmanuel, she interviewed the poet Carl Sandberg. She dedicated her commercial life to the leather industry. She rose to become the Assistant Treasurer of both the Verza Tanning Company and the New Hampshire Hide Corporation. She taught the Great Books Socratic discussion series, and was a part-time substitute teacher in Peabody. Her respect for layout and perspective led her to the study of Japanese gardening. She is survived by a son Daniel of Marblehead, and one sister Louise Glazier of Homosassa, FL. She was preceded in death, besides her husband and parents, by her sisters Linda Peterson and Lillian Buckley. A life long believer in letting the dead bury the dead, she relented in her last days to allow her friends and family to sing her to her rest. A visitation will be held on Thursday from 4 – 8 P.M. in the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St. location, Peabody. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather on Friday at 10 AM from the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Marblehead. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem.