William “Bill” Charles Fitzgerald

Bill was a loving son of Mary (“Joie”) and Lloyd, brother of Jim, Kathleen and Marilyn, plus an uncle and great-uncle (or uncle-uncle as some knew him) many times over. He also had a remarkable sense of humor and was a real jokester. His siblings remember him as the one who always got into mischief.

Bill was born in Chicago on August 31, 1947, was a runner and star basketball player at York High School, and went on to get a law degree and became a lawyer. He drafted laws in Springfield before becoming an assistant district attorney in DuPage County. From there, he became a professor teaching criminal law at the College of DuPage until retirement, something he truly enjoyed.

Along the way, Bill was a leading actor at the Theatre of Western Springs starring in many productions. He also performed at the Athenaeum Theater in Chicago. Although he never hammed it up, he definitely was a ham and enjoyed being in the spotlight! He also picked up two PhDs at Northern Illinois, one in history.

Bill loved hiking and traveling, often combining both. He went to Salisbury, England multiple times to hike along the Avon River to Stonehenge. His favorite places to visit were England, Scotland, Paris and the Loire Valley, and Disney World in Florida. He’d go on week long trail rides with groups in the West and in Ireland. At home, he would hike several miles almost every day in the forest preserves.

He played bag pipes in a Chicago bagpipe band. Once for the fun of it, he took his pipes to Edinburgh, Scotland, dressed up in his kilt, and played his pipes on a street corner collecting donations in his hat on the sidewalk.

Bill loved animals. He had dogs and many, many cats at his house in Bartlett, Illinois. They became a major part of his life.

Please join us for visitation and a short service on Saturday, May 29, 2021 10am- 11:30am at Davenport Funeral Home, 941 S. Old Rand Road, Lake Zurich, IL 60047, 847-550-4221, followed by lunch.