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Senate adjourns in memory of former Chief Justice Mary C. Fitzpatrick
Summary
The Massachusetts Senate moved and approved an adjournment in memory of Mary C. Fitzpatrick, reciting her career and public service. A moment of silence followed and the motion carried.
The Massachusetts Senate approved a motion to adjourn in memory of the Honorable Mary C. Fitzpatrick, who died on Jan. 26, 2025, the presiding officer said.
The presiding officer recited Fitzpatrick’s life and career on the Senate floor: she was born Nov. 3, 1927; began work in the Suffolk probate court in 1945; graduated from Portia Law School (now New England Law School) as valedictorian in 1953; was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1954; was promoted to assistant registrar of probate in 1961; was appointed a probate judge by Governor Francis Sargent in 1972 and named first justice of the Suffolk Probate Court in 1973. In 1991 she became chief justice of the Probate and Family Court Department, the first woman to lead a major trial court department in the Commonwealth, and retired in 1997.
The presiding officer said Fitzpatrick continued to serve after retirement as a special master on probate and family court matters and in child protection and custody cases. Honors noted in the remarks included an honorary degree from New England Law School, a distinguished jurist award from the Women’s Bar Association (year cited in the session), and other professional recognitions; a fund was established in her name to support educational programs for children, the reader said.
Following the recitation, the presiding officer moved that the Senate adjourn in her memory. Senators responded “aye” and the chair declared the motion carried. The chamber observed a moment of silence.
