Lee Fitzgerald Johnson

Lee Fitzgerald Johnson, 81, of Fort Dodge, passed away on Friday, January 4th, 2019, at Friendship Haven, surrounded by the love of his family. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 8th at 10:00 AM in the Chapel of the Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home and 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart Church with Rev. Edward Girres officiating the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be in Corpus Christi Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Monday from 4:00 to 8:00 PM with a Rosary at 7:30 PM at funeral home. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Mary Anne, of Fort Dodge and his children: Annette (the late Peter Townley) of Omaha, NE; Angela (Matt Doyle) of Fort Dodge; Joyce (David Bianchi) of Fort Dodge; Janet (Tom Peterson) of Algonquin, IL; Kathleen (David Divoky) of Bellevue, NE; Carol (Dan Selner) of Denver, CO; and Michael (Amy) Johnson of Fort Dodge. Lee is also survived by his 23 grandchildren: Nicholas, Meghan, Mairead, Brigid, Conor and Liam; Luke, Benjamin and Thomas; Abby, Adam, Andrew and Allie; Rachael, Zachary and Michael; Alex; Hannah, Emma and Patrick; and Elizabeth, Emily and Leah. He is survived by 9 great-grandchildren and his brother, Neal (Cathy) of Portland, OR. He was preceded in death by his parents, Algot and Georgina (Fitzgerald) Johnson; brothers, C. William, Robert, Donald and Bruce; sisters, Mary Kay McDonald and Loraine Cummings; and son-in-law, Dr. Peter Townley. Lee was born on March 26, 1937, in Minneapolis, MN, the youngest child of Algot and Georgina Fitzgerald Johnson. He attended Bloomington High School, graduating in1955. He then attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, on a football scholarship, graduating in 1959. Lee was starting center for the 1956 undefeated Tommie football team. Lee married Mary Anne O'Brien on June 7, 1958, in St. Peter's Church in Richfield, MN. He began work as an insurance salesman and the couple lived in Hutchinson, KS, Kansas City, KS, Kansas City, MO, and Carroll, IA, before establishing their home in Fort Dodge, IA, in 1970. Lee then went to work for Kelley Insurance Agency. The agency merged into Calvert, Singer, and Kelley Insurance Agency, and he retired from there in 2000. Lee belonged to the Kiwanis, serving as president. He was on the Hospice Board, the Webster County Home Health Care Board and a volunteer driver for cancer patients receiving treatment outside of Fort Dodge. Lee served for many years as a Eucharistic Minister and lector at Sacred Heart Parish. He was very active in the diocesan Cursillo movement for 20 years. He supported St. Edmond Catholic Schools, with leadership on the one-site building campaign, co-chair with Mary Anne on the Friends of St. Edmond Ball, and a junior high football coach with his son Michael. Lee enjoyed traveling with Mary Anne, playing golf, his poker club and betting group, and was an avid Minnesota Vikings and Notre Dame football fan. He was proud of his Irish heritage and had the tradition of singing the Irish Blessing at family weddings. Lee was, above all, a family man. His greatest joys were his wife, children and grandchildren, never missing an event or activity. His faith and family always came first. He was a man with a kind heart, a sense of humor and a strong work ethic, which he passed on to his children and grandchildren. He will be deeply missed. Memorials may be left in Lee's memory to Friendship Haven and Unity Point Hospice. Visitation Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home 307 South 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Rosary Mon, Jan 7, 2019 at 7:30 pm Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home 307 South 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Funeral Mass Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 10:30 am Sacred Heart Church 211 S 13th St Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501