Fr. Donald J. Fitzimmons, CSV, died on February 13, 2026, in Arlington Heights, IL. He was born on June 26, 1932, in Pontiac, IL, the son of Donald and Iva (Saxton) Fitzsimmons. He is survived by his brother Robert and his sister Patricia Andreatta and preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Myrna. He pronounced his first vows on August 15, 1951, in Chicago and was ordained on May 28, 1960, in Joliet, IL, by Bishop Martin McNamara.
Fr. Fitzsimmons was a graduate of Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield, IL. He earned a BA in Philosophy and History from Loyola University Chicago, an MA in History from St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, a diploma in Religious Studies from Lumen Vitae: Institut Sciense, Brussels, Belgium, and an MA in Doctoral Studies and Religious Education from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Fr. Fitzsimmons also completed several courses in counseling and intervention.
He taught at Spalding Institute in Peoria for the 1955-56 school year and returned to Spalding from 1961 to 1965 as Coordinator of the Religion Program. His longest assignment was as teacher and counselor at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights from 1970 to 1988. From 1988 to 1997, he was a Drug Abuse Counselor at Lutheran General Recovery Center in Vernon Hills, IL. He also served as Substance Abuse Counselor in the Keys to Recovery Program at Holy Family Hospital in Des Plaines, Illinois from 1998 to 2001. In July 2001, Fr. Fitsimmons retired to the Province Center Retirement Residence in Arlington Heights, IL, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Visitation and Mass of Christian burial (viewable below) were held Friday, February 20, 2026, at the Viatorian Province Center. Fr. Fitzsimmons was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL.
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