Patricia C. Fitzmaurice

With her family at her side, Patricia (“Pat”) Coan Fitzmaurice, 85, died peacefully at her home in Bowie, MD on March 12, 2022 after a long and spirited journey through illness.  Born in 1936 to Carl and Flora Coan in Philadelphia, she moved to Falls Church, Virginia in 1942, attended St. James Grade School, graduated from Holy Trinity High School in Washington in 1954 and attended the College of William and Mary.  She worked at the Federal Reserve headquarters from 1958 to 1959.  In 1956, Pat married the love of her life, Frank, who preceded her in death almost 10 years to the day. In 1959 they started their family, and settled in the new Belair community of Bowie, Maryland in 1962.  

Raising her family in Bowie’s Buckingham section, she was active at Sacred Heart Catholic parish teaching religious education with Frank.  In the early to mid 1980s Pat was quite active in the formative years of the Maryland Catholic Conference under the leadership of Cardinal James Hickey.  In 1987 she graduated from the Education Parish Service (EPS) program at Trinity College, Washington DC.  Soon thereafter, she served on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities in Washington from 1994 to 1999 under an appointment of Cardinal Hickey.  A lifelong student of history, as a member of the Sacred Heart History Committee Pat assisted in compilation of the “Sacred Heart at Whitemarsh 1741-2015” book published in 2015.   She was quite proud of the rich history of the parish, where Fr. John Carroll was elected the first Catholic Bishop of the young United States of America in 1789.

In addition to her husband Frank Fitzmaurice Sr., she was preceded in death by brothers Carl, Ralph, Gerry and her sister Mary Josephine, as well as her grandson Alex.  She is survived by her nine children: Shawn (Diana d.), Brian (Jennifer), Dan, Jamie (Suzanne), Frank (Mary Beth), Tim (Ann), Peter (Lydia), Mary (Ashur), Tricia; two brothers Tom and John; two sisters Joan and Catherine; 31 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.  She inquired about and prioritized the wellbeing of her large family she loved so much until the very end.  She told one of her granddaughters in her last days, “Every sock you fold belongs to a little foot.  Every dish you wash means your family is fed.  See that your home is filled with peace and is a safe place to be for everyone who comes and goes.”

Family will receive friends Thursday March 24, 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 NW Crain Highway, Bowie, MD. Pat’s long life will be celebrated at a Mass of Christian burial at 11:00 am, March 25 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 16501 Annapolis Rd., Bowie. Internment, Sacred Heart Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Pat’s name to the Resurrection Catholic Missions of the South at https://www.rcmsouth.org/ .  Please view and sign the family’s guestbook at www.beallfuneral.com.