By Alesha Capone
Geoff Fitzgerald is being remembered as a devoted family man with a passion for bringing Christmas spirit to the community.
Mr Fitzgerald, a long-time Hoppers Crossing resident, passed away on Friday at Werribee Mercy Hospital, from COVID-19.
The 64-year-old father of three and grandfather of three, was well-known in the local area – along with his wife Jenny – for decorating their Macedon Street house and garden at Christmas time.
Mrs Fitzgerald said their Christmas efforts started with Geoff putting a few lights in the front yard.
“He started putting a couple of lights out the front, I said, ‘You’ve got to add in colour,’ and it took off from there,” she said.
“The council used to close the street off for us every year. Once we had a choir and the Lions Club selling Christmas cakes.”
The couple had stopped decorating their house in more recent years as their children grew older, and they travelled more.
Mrs Fitzgerald described her husband as a “fantastic” person.
“He would go work and come home to his family, he was a real family man and loved his garden,” she said.
As a younger man, Mr Fitgerald was employed at a glassworks in Spotswood and later started working for his son-in-law’s building business.
Mrs Fitzgerald said she was unsure where her husband had contracted COVID-19. He was diagnosed with the flu and underwent a coronavirus test about four days later, which came back positive. He was admitted to hospital about 10 days before he died.
Mrs Fitzgerald said Geoff’s passing had made her incredibly sad. “One day he was there, next day he’s not,” she said.
Mr Fitzgerald is survived by his wife, their children Tina, Kristie and Jason, son-in-law Peter, daughter-in-law Jenny and grandchildren Matilda, Olivia and Eliza.
