Allen Fitzgerald

Mr. Archie Allen Fitzgerald, 84, retired contractor and long-time resident of Wedgewood Drive, died Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at Life Care Center. Funeral services will be conducted Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols with Dr. Tony Long officiating. Burial will be in the Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post #19. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Masonic Rites observed at 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to Shrine Children's Hospital, c/o Kenneth Eubank, P. O. Box 890, Columbia 38402. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. The Maury County native was the son of the late Lendo Allen Fitzgerald and Janie Gertrude Henderson Fitzgerald. He was a 1941 graduate of Columbia Central High School where he lettered in basketball and served as Vice President of his Senior Class. Following graduation at the outset of World War II, he volunteered for service in 1941. He was a member of the original U. S. Air Force 67th Fighter Squadron and 339th Fighter Squadron on Guadacanal with the Rank of Staff Sergeant until 1945. He loaded bombs on P-38s and synchronized guns for each mission. His outfit was famous for shooting down Japanese Admiral Yamamota. He was awarded the Legion of Merit while at Henderson Field in the South Pacific.Following his military service he entered the construction field and worked for Nile Yearwood for a number of years. He built the original Graymere Church of Christ and First Baptist Church in Lebanon. While working with Maury Steel Company, he built Joseph Brown Elementary School and the First Farmers & Merchants Round Bank. For 12 years, he owned and operated Maury Construction Company. During that time he built the Corner Village, remodeled and converted Blythwood to a branch of First Farmers & Merchants Bank, built the chapel at First Baptist Church downtown and remodeled Zion Presbyterian Church. Mr. Fitzgerald was a long-time devoted member of First Baptist Church and served as a Deacon for 40 years, as well as on many church committees. He worked with teenagers for 16 years and as a Sunday School Teacher. He served on the Long-Range Planning Committee and was instrumental in purchasing the property on Sheegog Lane for the current church. He was a 50 year Mason and member of Columbia Masonic Lodge #31 and the Free & Accepted Mason Scottish Rite Shrine. He served as secretary of Bigbyville Masonic Lodge #167 for a number of years. He served as Maury County ambassador for the Shrine Paper Sale and for 3 years served on the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Columbia. He was married September 8, 1946 to the former Ella Grooms, who survives. He is also survived by two daughters, Carol (Franklin) Armstrong and Dianne Steele both of; two granddaughters, Tracey House of Columbia, Kristen Tyler of Murfreesboro; a grandson, Brent Allen (Shelby) Steele of College Grove; a great-granddaughter, Savannah House; two great-grandsons, Ryan Shaw and Zachary Shaw; two brothers, Leon (Evelyn) Fitzgerald of Muscle Shoals, Alabama and Bill (Ruthie) Fitzgerald of Clarksville; several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a sister, Louise Woody and a brother, John Fitzgerald. Active pallbearers are Lionel Ward, Ross Lemay, Bill Prince, Sam Beddingfield, Brent Steele, Dennis Steele, Rex Hartsfield and Royal Dickson. Honorary pallbearers include Hal Morgan, Randy Stevens, his nephews, Allen Woody, Terry Cook, Jim Crawford, John Byrom, Jeff McCaleb, former and present Deacons of First Baptist Church, charter members of the Golden K Kiwanis Club, members of Columbia Masonic Lodge #31 and the Staff of Life Care Center.