Elise L. Fitzsimmons, 65, of Becket, Massachusetts joined all the saints who from their labor rest on June 1, 2020. She was the beloved wife of the Rev. Dr. M. Craig Fitsimmons for over forty years; the proud mother of her three daughters, Rebekah (Robert Houston), Martha (Sam Patrick) and Abigail (Toby Hummel), and doting grandmother of Lily, Logan and James. She was devoted to her family and her faith.
Elise loved cooking and baking and passed on those skills. She also was a quilter who appeared at many craft shows and had her own Etsy site. In her 50s, she earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. An avid bird watcher, she traveled to Arizona to watch California condors released back into the wild. Additionally, she loved to garden and many friends enjoyed her gifts of vegetables and flowers.
She was born on November 14, 1954 in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of Janet and Wendell Lavender. In her professional life, Elise was a reinsurance underwriter for a number of companies in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Missouri and New Hampshire. She was the first woman to earn a B.S in mathematics at Hofstra University, and then earned an MBA at Pace University. Her professional certifications included an A.Re. and C.P.C.U. She traveled extensively both for business and pleasure, and especially enjoyed visiting national parks, monument and historical sites.
Her love of God and her neighbor was often shown through her contributions to church, food programs and numerous charities. She was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church.
She also leaves behind her mother, eight siblings/step siblings and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at a later date at the First United Methodist Church of Pittsfield. Burial will be Private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the United Methodist Loans and Scholarship Fund, 1001 19th Ave. South, Nashville, TN, 37212, or to a charity of your choosing.