Jeff Fitzgerald, 76, died peacefully with his wife by his side on Aug. 28, 2026, in Hickory.
Jeff was born in Arizona and grew up in Birmingham, Mich. He earned his graduate degree in psychology from Western Michigan University and spent his career as a psychologist, working with children and adults with disabilities and their families. Jeff was employed first by Western Carolina Center, and later by the N.C. School for the Deaf.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Jane Everson; his son, Corey Fitzgerald; his beloved dog, Scout; his sisters, Kathy Hanna and Janet Fitzgerald; his nieces, Susan Hanna, Katie Hanna, and Taylor Everson; and his nephew, Kyle Everson.
Jeff loved all sports, but especially University of Michigan athletics, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Detroit Tigers. He was also an avid golfer and lived his dream of playing golf in Scotland and Ireland with his best friends, Paul, Erik, and Jacob.
A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Morganton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Deaf and Blind Pathways Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 1397, Morganton, NC 28650.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.