John R. FitzPatrick passed away on April 17, 2026 following a brief illness. He was born in Reno, Nevada on August 28, 1946, and grew up in White Pine County, Nevada, in the mining towns of Ruth and Ely. The wide-open outdoor spaces of his childhood resonated with him his entire life.

John graduated from White Pine County High School and attended the University of Utah where he earned a BS in Chemistry. He served in the U.S. Army for 2 years before returning to the University of Utah to complete a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry. Later, while he was working at LANL, he received an MA in Nuclear Engineering.

John and Terry met in Salt Lake City while attending graduate school and married shortly thereafter. After John completed a post-doc appointment at Oregon State University, the couple moved to Los Alamos where John worked at LANL for the next 30 years. Sons Robert and Benjamin were born in Los Alamos. He was a devoted dad who helped coach some of his sons' basketball, baseball, and soccer teams.

New Mexico appealed to John's love of the out-of-doors. He had learned to ski in Utah and took that sport up again when Rob and Benj learned to ski and only stopped when health issues arose. He also enjoyed the less rigorous fun of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing with the family. John was an avid fisherman, especially fly fishing in the mountain streams of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. He always enjoyed hiking to new places with the boys and Terry, particularly if it also involved fishing. When he retired, John joined the Lemon Lot hikers and made many good friends.

John was a member of the United Church for most of the 48 years he lived in Los Alamos. He was active on many boards and served a term as president of the executive board. His favorite church activity was the Thursday morning Men's Koffee Klatch where some of the retired men in the congregation gathered for coffee, treats, and sharing stories.

John was a gentle, kind man who will be greatly missed. He is survived by Terry, his wife of 52 years, sons Rob and Benj, daughter-in-law Amber, and granddaughter Zahra, the apple of his eye. He was preceded in death by his parents Clement J. FitzPatrick and Gladys V. FitzPatrick.

There will be a memorial service celebrating John's life at 11:00 am on June 27, 2026, at the United Church of Los Alamos. Please consider doing something John would have loved: hike with friends, go fishing, or show somebody an act of kindness.