James Michael Fitzsimmons

James "Jim" Michael Fitzsimmons, 71, of Glenwood, passed away peacefully early on April 12, 2016 at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. He had been in poor health since 2005. At his request, no services will be held. Expressions of sympathy can be directed to the Open Door Mission in Omaha, Nebraska, your local animal shelter, or to a charity of your choice. Loess Hills Funeral Home of Glenwood is in charge of his final arrangements. James Michael Fitzsimmons was born on June 3, 1944, in Geneva, Illinois, to Robert Clark and Juliette (Gillis) Fitzsimmons, the last of 8 children. He grew up with a strong work ethic he kept all his life. When he was 8 years old, he began washing windows of businesses in his home town using a red wagon to haul cleaning supplies. When he was a little older, he traveled by various means from home for several miles to the nearest golf course to work as a caddy for very little money, and thereafter never truly enjoyed playing golf. He moved from Chicago to live with older sisters a few times when he was a child due to the serious illness of his mother. He lived in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Key West, Florida; Virginia and California....[more]

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e moved to Northern California when he was 19 years old to escape the brutal Chicagoland winters. There he married and became the father of two beautiful daughters, the pride of his life. He started his 36-year career with Southern Pacific Railroad in the switchyards of the San Francisco East Bay, but soon was promoted to management. After the family was transferred to Houston, Texas, he and his wife divorced. Jim met Letitia (Tish) Muir at work at Southern Pacific in Houston. They married in 1975 before both transferred to the San Francisco Bay area where they resided for 22 years. Following merger between SP and Union Pacific, Jim's job in Human Resources was transferred to Omaha, Nebraska in 1997, and he and Tish bought a home in Glenwood, Iowa. Jim retired from management at UP in 1999, but continued to work for several more years as a traveling UP Human Resource contract employee, interviewing personnel for various types of railroad work all across the country. Jim and Tish had been married more than 40 years at his death. Preceding James in death were his parents; brothers, Robert and Gerald; sisters, Edythe Percy and Audrey Lennon; and nephew Donald Fitzsimmons Jr. Jim is survived by his wife Tish, his beloved daughters, Cynthia (Jeff) Ott of Lakeport, CA and Dr. Stacey (Chris) Barrie of Fremont, CA; grandchildren, Grace Ott, James and Quinlan Barrie; brother Donald (Jean) Fitzsimmons of Martinez, CA; sisters, Mary Fitzsimmons of Chicago, and Judy (Stan) Shamitz of Folsom, CA; and his first wife Susan Blair, Santa Rosa, CA. In addition, a very large and loving Fitzsimmons clan of cousins, nephews, nieces, grand nephews and grand nieces, and many in-laws mourn the passing of Uncle Jim. He was warm, charming and loving, and had a great sense of Irish humor. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.