THE FITZIE FOUNDATION
Fitzie Grogan Petersmeyer died February 15, 1985, at the age of 33 after a long struggle with cancer. Many of us who had the good fortune to share life with Fitzie established The Fitzie Foundation as a means by which to remember her and carry on her spirit. The Foundation makes annual financial awards to recognize and support outstanding young women from the institutions that featured most prominently in Fitzie’s life. The awards are designed to perpetuate Fitzie’s spirit in hopes that some of her values, her energy, her determination, her sense of merriment and adventure will be reflected in the lives of the Foundation’s beneficiaries. We wish to remember her not only because her life was tragically short, but more powerfully because she lived that life to the fullest. We trust and believe that through offering these awards and providing support to young women, we will encourage them in their pursuits and provide them with an example of a life well-lived. We believe that these young women will be touched and motivated by Fitzie’s life and by the things for which she lived.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Fitzie Foundation is a non-profit foundation* established by friends and family in memory of Margaret Fitzgerald Grogan Petersmeyer. The Foundation’s purpose is to recognize and reward outstanding girls and young women from the institutions that featured most prominently in Fitzie’s life, including Tenacre Country Day School, Dana Hall School, Harvard/Radcliffe College, the Harvard Business School, and others. Every spring the Foundation’s Trustees select several young women in whom the Trustees recognize many of Fitzie’s most outstanding qualities. The award presented to each is twofold. First, the selectee receives a monetary grant whose purpose is to assist in the further development of her character, interests and talents. Under the guidance of the Trustees, each recipient then determines how the award could be most valuable to her. In the past, Foundation grants have been used for such diverse purposes as tuition, travel or living abroad, and lessons in a master class or other instruction in a field where the recipient has shown extraordinary promise. Second, the recipients will be given a commitment of ongoing support of a nonfinancial nature through “Friends of the Fitzie Foundation”, an ever-growing network of past winners and Foundation supporters. The Trustees award fellowships to young women who possess a combination of the characteristics which Fitzie reflected in her life: pursuit of excellence, exceptional skill and dedication in a special area of interest or expertise, leadership, commitment to the community, academic excellence, a sense of exuberance, adventure and new horizons, compassion and understanding. In short, the Trustees look for individuals who are both outstanding in a specific respect and demonstrate balance, humanness and a strong system of personal values.
Fitzie’s friends came from a remarkably broad range of backgrounds and represented an incredibly wide variety of interests. All those who contribute to the Foundation’s endowment become “Friends of the Fitzie Foundation.” This network will be an increasingly instrumental part of the Foundation’s impact on the lives of its award winners, as the Friends provide recipients with ongoing help on an informal basis through assisting in finding employment, public service or volunteer opportunities, giving career guidance or simply sharing ideas. As the Foundation has matured, many former award recipients themselves have chosen to become “Friends of the Foundation”, further enriching this unique network with their own character, enthusiasm and experiences. A Directory of the Friends of the Fitzie Foundation will be published periodically, listing the names, addresses, affiliations and special interests of the Friends. The Directory is intended for Friends and award recipients, as a reminder of their important ongoing role in the foundation’s mission: not only to provide financial support, but to help recipients in other ways and beyond their time at the institution from which they were selected. It is the hope that the Friends, in turn, are kept informed about the girls and young women selected each year and the ongoing progress of former award recipients.
The following quotations from letters about Fitzie by some of those helping to establish the Foundation give an indication of the qualities the Trustees will look for in selecting award recipients. * The formal name is The Margaret Fitzgerald Grogan Petersmeyer Foundation. The Foundation is a Massachusetts not-for-profit corporation exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
TENACRE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL “On my first day of school she welcomed me, put me at ease, showed me around and was a lot of fun all at the same time. She was an 8-year-old goodwill ambassador. She was like no other 8-year-old I’ve ever known.”
“Fitzie was a spunky, fun-loving child, not unable to get herself into a pack of mischief but with the unique ability to come out smelling like a rose.”
“There was always a joyful greeting when we met in the hall, and she gave the happy impression that the world was a wonderful place, the day held exciting possibilities, and Tenacre was where she loved most to be. She always seemed to be in the center of a group of friends who found her happiness contagious.”
“She learned early on that each hour of the day had to count in order to compete with other skaters, to maintain good grades, and to have time left over for family and friends.”
“Fitzie began her skating career quite by happenstance. She began just by taking figure skating lessons and was soon spotted as a natural. She threw herself into these early days of skating with an enthusiasm and determination that were inspiring. At the same time she gave as much as ever to her school work and other interests. Neither did she let old friends fall by the wayside because of new friends made in the skating world. It was a demanding schedule for a little girl but she managed it beautifully.”
“Fitzie was a well-adjusted little girl who was enthusiastic about life. She had a quick intelligence and was willing to work to achieve scholastic excellence. She was a loyal friend who was sensitive to the feelings of others. And she of course was a gifted athlete.”
“My overwhelming memory is her smile.”
DANA HALL SCHOOL “I remember Fitzie as one of the most sparkling, vivacious and happy people I have ever known.”
“She was happy-go-lucky in spirit but very directed towards excellence in the things she chose to pursue. She was aware of what the ideal should be and then stretched her capabilities to the fullest, enjoying the stretch as much or more than the success.”
“Fitzie was a real hack. She was always laughing and clowning around. I remember the way she laughed the best because it always made me laugh and the way her eyes would light up when she’d just thought of something crazy for us to do.”
“We remember her special skills of grace and beauty on the ice. We marveled. We were proud of her and proud that she belonged to Dana. We remember wondering how Fitzie could “do it all”-the relentless pressure of 5 a.m. skating practices, top grades in the toughest courses and never asking for special permission to cut classes or required school activities. And most of all, we remember wondering how she could have such a talent for joy”
“Fitzie was not a clique or exclusive group person. She was never associated with one group of girls at Dana, but was friendly with several different groups.”
“Fitzie was a leader-whether in writing the class song or poem, being unanimously elected Day Student President or just being there to look up to…The Dana Hall Honor Roll was posted at the end of each semester and I remember always seeing Fitzie’s name on either High Honors or Honors.”
“Over the years I gained total respect for Fitzie. At ages when one is often jealous of a peer’s accomplishments, Fitzie earned respect. She was able to juggle skating and school seemingly effortlessly. It is only now that I realize how really hard that must have been.”
HARVARD/RADCLIFFE COLLEGE “Fitzie added a sparkle to our lives…She added class to our routine dining hall gatherings. She remembered our birthdays. She somehow found time to attend our various athletic endeavors…She reveled in such wackiness as riding a tandem bicycle with her roommate in the Harvard-to-Wellesley bicycle race. She had a kind word and a quick smile for everyone. And she never complained about anything. Never.”
“Fitzie had one characteristic that was more endearing and magical than all others during those years at Harvard…In short, Fitzie had an unbounded capacity for laughter-not just polite smiles or restrained chuckles, but unbridled, unreserved, uncontrolled and uncontrollable laughter for its own sake, with an innocence of purpose that infected us all. In my mind’s eye, I see her impish face aglow with a laugh she simply couldn’t contain.”
“Fitzie’s warmth was remarkable. During one class, another Harvard student, who was blind, asked for help so he could find his way from the first floor to a class on the second floor. A couple of us hesitated, but Fitzie quickly went forward, asked how she could help, took his arm firmly as he directed her and led him to the second floor. When she returned to class she told me ‘I am no good at that kind of thing,’ but of course she was.”
“To know Fitzie was to know there was someone in your life who had an impeccable moral sensibility. When I think of Fitzie, I remember her vitality, good humor and drive, but what impressed me most was her fundamental goodness. Without a trace of piety or righteousness, Fitzie radiated a feeling that she had a firm grasp on right and wrong. You could trust that she would not be swayed by improper considerations.”
“Fitzie was unpretentious. I mean this as the ultimate compliment. Fitzie had credentials rivaling or surpassing those of her classmates at Radcliffe… [yet] she felt no need to prove those credentials to others, however subtly... Fitzie seemed content to be known and loved by her friends as the warm, caring, fun-loving person that she was above all other things.”
“Fitzie had the wonderful ability to be highly competitive without outwardly competing with anyone but herself. Fitzie was unique in her ability to push herself, to strive, to achieve, to relish her victories without ever doing so at the expense of others or ever flaunting her success. One sensed that there was an inner engine driving Fitzie that gave her her determination and steel.”
“She enjoyed many simple things like hot tea, good novels, Audrey Hepburn movies, long baths, long walks, snow, rain, music and autumn in New England.”
“I think she had more and varied friends than anyone I have known.”
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL “In our first year, during the period the entire class was either discouraged, afraid, or frustrated, in my mind I have such a clear picture of Fitzie, who inside must have felt like the rest of us, as being so cheerful, so positive, so undaunted.”
“What never ceases to amaze me was her ability to be so together and so real at the same time. She always had an aura of sensitivity and caring and glamour, too.”
“In class she was always mindful of how decisions affect people’s lives and she often urged us not to overlook these considerations.”
“Students at the Harvard Business School, especially during the first year, when she was a member of my class, live their lives under tremendous pressures…Within such a system, sunny dispositions are not conspicuous, since almost every circumstance militates against them. Yet Fitzie maintained her own and, more than that, communicated it to her section mates. For that reason, her section proved to be one that I particularly enjoyed teaching. Without any sacrifice of rigor, without any slacking of preparation, her section was simply more relaxed and upbeat than others I have taught. All of this made it easier for us to learn from each other, indeed made it possible for the learning experience itself to become nothing less than fun.”
“She was one of the guys; she had a thirst for beer and an appetite for any sort of conversation. And she always stood by with a thoughtful ear, ready to provide soundings for the problems of her pals. . . .”
“I first met Fitzie during the second year of her MBA program when she took my elective course, Problems in Labor Relations. Although it was not a course that was of direct benefit to her in the career she had chosen, she had an intellectual curiosity about the subject and an empathy for working people.... There was an honesty, a compassion and genuineness in Fitzie that makes her stand out clearly among the approximately 700 students I taught while at the Harvard Business School.”
“I remember her for her personality, for her bearing and grace…”
“Fitzie was one of those rare individuals to whom everyone was drawn. Her warm smile and inner strength radiated from within and touched us all. The attraction was immediate and lasting.”
MARGARET FITZGERALD GROGAN PETERSMEYER December 18, 1951-February 15, 1985 Fitzie was born in Boston in 1951, the daughter of Margaret Fitzgerald and Dr. Richard Henry Grogan. She was raised in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts with her two younger brothers, Richard Henry and Christopher Jeffrey. Her formal education was at Tenacre Country Day School, Dana Hall School, Harvard/Radcliffe College and the Harvard Business School. Fitzie was an ice-skater. She once said that from the age of three “Skates were magic, they took me into my own world.” While she enjoyed many sports throughout her life, until college Fitzie focused almost all of her free time on skating. From the age of eight until she was eighteen, she was on the ice at 5:30 every school morning and again after school, training longer hours on weekends and in the summer. Her mother was a source of great help and support through these years, believing with Fitzie that skating and competition should never be anything but fun. Fitzie was a gifted and beautiful skater, winning many competitions over the years including the New England and Eastern Senior Ladies Figure Skating Championships and ranking third in the United States in the Junior Ladies Division. In addition, she was a United States Figure Skating Association Gold Medalist. During her childhood and early adolescence, Fitzie lived in a wonderful world. She was increasingly busy with skating, friends and school work, happily juggling the three. It was not always easy. At night, for example, she would often do her homework while soaking sore muscles in the bathtub. Sometimes she would fall asleep, turning everything into a wet mess! But soon after her fifteenth birthday, her father died. Fitzie handled his
death with poise and a determination to keep her life on track, despite her anger and bewilderment. She and her father had had a special relationship. He was the source of much of her inspiration and he had very high standards and limitless confidence in Fitzie’s ability to meet them. His death marked the first time in her life that she had to find inner strength. She also recognized the need for self-reliance, assumed a leadership role in her family and established a remarkable sense of loyalty to her mother and two younger brothers that would continue for the remainder of her life. When she reached Radcliffe, skating became less important and she began the process of reallocating her energy and enjoyment to new tasks and relationships. As one friend would write years later, “Fitzie was always self-confident (or a great actress) and seemed to be able to change direction rather easily: Once she knew a particular goal was attainable then it wasn’t so important to actually achieve the goal repeatedly as to enjoy the process and then move on to a new and potentially totally
different goal, which was then attacked with the same gusto and energy.” Fitzie had two “fun jobs” as she liked to call them. She worked at Philip Morris, Inc in New York between college and business school as coordinator of sports promotions, corporate art sponsorships and new product publicity programs. Later she worked at McKinsey & Company, Inc in London during the summer between her two years at business school and then joined the firm’s New York office the following year where from 1978 to 1982 she was an Associate and Engagement Manager. She simply loved McKinsey. She made many friends among peers and partners alike. “It was sort of a magic kingdom to her,” noted one friend. There was also a pattern of quiet work in areas of concern to her such as health care, education and public policy. While at Radcliffe, she was a volunteer teacher at the Peabody Home for Specially Handicapped Children. In addition, she was a principal organizer of Harvard’s first two annual skating benefits called “An Evening with Champions” to benefit cancer research at Children’s Hospital in Boston and a founder of a nationally syndicated column and magazine for college and school newspapers entitled “Campus Colloquy.” In New York after college, she spent an evening a week at City Hall handling citizen complaints and referrals on the Mayor’s Action Committee. When she returned to New York after business school, she contributed consulting time at Odyssey Institute, an international drug rehabilitation program, became a member of the Dana Hall Corporation and a Senior Vice-President of the Harvard Business School Club of New York. In Denver, she joined the local Board of Directors of Young Audiences, a national organization dedicated to exposing school-age children to the arts, and raised funds for Children’s Hospital in Denver. Fitzie met Gregg Petersmeyer at Harvard in the fall of 1970 when she was eighteen. She was a sophomore and he was a junior. In September, 1975 they were married
at Harvard Memorial Church and became inseparable thereafter. Following a year in England where Gregg was finishing graduate work at Oxford, they attended Harvard Business School together and both joined McKinsey & Company in New York. By the summer of 1982, Charles Wrede II (February 8, 1981) and Whitney Fitzgerald (July 14, 1982) had arrived. So Fitzie and Gregg decided to try something new. They moved to Denver where a good business opportunity existed for Gregg. Fitzie restored an old house and then welcomed Frances Devon (November 2, 1983) to the family. Fitzie and Gregg enjoyed a very strong relationship. As one friend observed, “They never lost perspective and questioned what was most important in their lives. Gregg, and later the children, were Fitzie’s best friends and inseparable teammates, providing the oxygen and gravity that enriched and balanced her life. She was the same for Gregg.” Over the years on a very private level, Fitzie’s life was also enriched by her recognition of a spiritual component of life and a strong faith in God. “There grew in Fitzie a quiet and deep acknowledgment that life had a pro-
foundly deep dimension beyond that acknowledged by our secular world,” remembered a close friend. “She was never assertive about having ultimate answers but she did not run away from the questions.” Fitzie’s illness came as a great shock. In the winter of 1984, she seemed to have contracted a persistent case of hepatitis. But by late May, she was diagnosed to be suffering from a rare liver disease called sclerosing cholangitis which may have started several years before. The disease is progressive, incurable and fatal. To save her life Fitzie was given a liver transplant on July 8th at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Her transplant was the fifth in the history of the hospital and took place within days of when Fitzie would have died. The transplant was successful. However, during the operation the surgeons found a malignant tumor in the area affected by the sclerosing cholangitis. In addition, the cancer was found to have spread to several lymph nodes. These were removed when the new liver was transplanted. The hope was that the cancer had spread no further. Fitzie made a remarkable recovery from the transplant. She even gave a short talk to a large group of doctors at Medical Grand Rounds at Mass General not long after the operation. While recovering from the transplant in Boston, she underwent precautionary radiation treatment. Fitzie returned to Denver in early September, happy and anxious to get on with her life. But in late October, it was discovered that the cancer had spread further prior to the transplant. Despite intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy in Boston, Fitzie was never able to get ahead of the cancer. She died at Mass General on February 15, 1985 at the age of 33. It is not possible to adequately describe the way Fitzie handled her illness other than to say that she never changed. She brought to the most difficult part of her
November 1984
life the same grace, dignity and great determination that characterized her always. “As a young girl or as a very sick woman the smile was always there, expressing her keen intelligence and unflagging sense of humor”, noted a dear friend. She was alert, optimistic, and confident. As was her way, she also developed enormous loyalty and affection for those at Mass General. Often she seemed more concerned about others. In the Recovery Room after the successful transplant operation, she motioned to her brother Jeff for a pen and paper and scribbled “Make sure Gregg eats.” Fitzie believed that part of her ability to cope with the ordeal was the result of the years of training, discipline and concentration associated with competitive figure skating. In addition, she would say that part of it came from watching her mother who had fought with grace and gallantry her own battle with illness and died the previous spring. For these and many other reasons, Fitzie never gave up or lost hope. Her spirit was simply indomitable and her quiet faith in God remained intact and even grew as she approached death.
Fitzie’s handling of her own illness is perhaps best reflected in the thoughts of doctors at Mass General who wrote about Fitzie in letters to Gregg. One of her doctors wrote: “You know how highly the entire staff regarded Fitzie. I was continually impressed with her unbelievable courage and strength to bounce back despite the medical setbacks. Her courage, vitality, and her love of life and those around her, I think provided her with a fuller life than many people without medical problems achieve over many more years.”
Another of Fitzie’s physicians, in summing up his feelings about her, expressed the hope of those establishing The Fitzie Foundation that Fitzie’s example will continue to inspire not only those closest to her but others as well:
“Our relationship with Fitzie and her family has touched us all profoundly. Perhaps we can take consolation from the fact that Fitzie spent her life setting high standards for herself and not just meeting, but surpassing them. I am in awe of the determination and spunk with which she approached her series of final battles. As difficult as it is to think about it now, I hope the children will learn as they grow up just how wonderful their mother was – not to think with sadness about her loss but to stand tall as her physical and spiritual heirs and to take pride in her legacy. . . . I hope that eventually, when the grief is spent, you will be able to look back and revel in the miracle of Fitzie.”
THE FITZIE FOUNDATION 396 WASHINGTON STREET WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS () -