Daniel L. Fitzgerald

  

FITZGERALD, DANIEL L. "Dan" "Danny", who was fond of saying, "Heaven is my home. I'm just here for a visit", ended his visit November 21, 2017 at South Miami Hospital after a bout with pneumonia. After 18 months in Korea during the war, he returned to his home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he met and married Dolores Stever who was to become his loving partner for over 62 years until her death. They moved to California where Fitzgerald graduated from the Pasadena Play house School of Theater Arts to begin an acting career which included numerous stage plays and appearances on live TV such as "Playhouse 90", "Studio One" and "Climax". A part-time job became a career in retailing as he became a fashion promotion Director for two department stores in Nashville, Tenn. until he was contacted to come to Miami to become fashion director and associate sales promotion manager for the six Richards stores in South Florida. He continued to do Richard's fashion shows and M.C. a weekly "Breakfast at Richards" TV show for 72 weeks after he had begun his own "Cloth to Closet" fashion promotion and modeling agency, Fashioncrest International, in the Miami International Merchandise Mart. As a Master of Ceremonies he emceed many beauty and scholarship pageants including six years with Miss Teenage Miami, hosted two Easter Seals telethons and emceed the annual Barbershop Harmony Show for 25 years. While covering the market from textiles through manufacturing to retail promotions, Fitzgerald gradually gravitated to his original love eventually amassing 300 radio and TV commercials plus 39 feature films like, "Mean Season", "Final Countdown" and "Police Academy Five". Along the way he served as president of the Miami chapter of Florida Public Relations Assn., Alpha Delta Sigma Advertising Society, Screen Actors Guild Florida Branch, South Florida Emerald Society and on the National Board of Screen Actors Guild and the South Florida International Press Club. He is survived by his son, Michael, a graduate of the U of M, sang on tour with Fred Waring and continues to record during time off from EPCOT at Walt Disney World. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Judes Children's Hospital. Visitation 7 9 pm Monday at VAN ORSDEL CORAL GABLES. Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 am Tuesday at the Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables. Burial in Wisconsin.

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Published in the Miami Herald on Nov. 26, 2017.

 

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/herald/obituary.aspx?n=daniel-l-fitzgerald&pid=187347185&fhid=9175

 

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