Edward Henry Fitzgibbon

Edward Henry Fitzgibbon (1954 - 2026)

Edward Henry Fitzgibbon passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon at the age of 72. He was surrounded by his wife and children with whom he was able to share one last Father’s Day sunset in the home he’d designed and built for them.

Born May 22, 1954 to Edward Leslie Fitzgibbon (1927 - 2021) and Molly Blair Fitzgibbon (1927 - 2017), Henry was the eldest of their five children. Inspired from a young age by the works of the mid-century architects, he attended the University of Oregon where he obtained his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1979. Following graduation and an associateship with Zaik/Miller Associates, Henry established himself as a partner with Soderstrom Architects where he worked for the next 35 years. 

A prolific and decorated architect, Henry’s practice prioritized schools and churches - places of learning and worship. His work envisioned spaces that opened the mind, elevated the human spirit, and celebrated the natural beauty of God’s creation. While the world will certainly miss the gentle, humble joy of his smile, the places he left behind will always be filled with light, laughter, and love.

Henry was a soft-spoken man whose generous and kind words echo in the hearts of those he knew. He loved the Grateful Dead, going to Mass daily, and praying the rosary. He cherished the sweat of a hard day’s work and the sea-kissed wind in a sail. He adored the laughter of children and the quiet of rain over the Columbia River Gorge. Above all, Henry treasured his family and his Catholic faith.

He is survived by the family for whom he cared so deeply - his beloved wife, Ann Marie (Schmidt) Fitzgibbon; his six living children, Elizabeth Lindenmuth (David), Teresa Conroy (John), Kathryn McAlpine (Matthew), Margaret Glaccum (Curtis), Edward Simpson-Fitzgibbon (Bailey), and Michael Fitzgibbon Perry (Dayna); his four younger siblings, Harry Blair Fitzgibbon, Margaret Sakuma, Laura Fitzgibbon (Michael Salmond), and James Fitzgibbon (Kate); and his fifteen grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Molly Fitzgibbon, and by his son, John Peter Fitzgibbon.

A rosary will be held at 10:00am and Funeral Mass at 10:30am on the Feast of St. Henry - Monday, July 13, 2026, at St. John Fisher Catholic Church (4567 SW Nevada St., Portland, OR 97219). A private family interment will be held at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Oregon Right to Life or St. John Fisher Catholic Church in Portland, OR.