[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING JACK FITZGERALD

  (Mr. RASKIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember my beloved friend and 
Montgomery County legend, Jack Fitzgerald, who passed away this week at 
the age of 89. He will be sharply missed by friends, family, and 
customers of the Fitzgerald Auto Malls up and down the East Coast.
  Jack's life embodied the restless, adventuresome spirit of America 
and entrepreneurial business at their very best. Over the course of his 
extraordinary life, he built Bethesda Auto from a single storefront in 
the early 1950s into a massive success, with dealerships across 
Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
  An old-fashioned businessman devoted to the community, he was an 
eloquent champion of customer safety, consumer protection, and employee 
well-being. He pioneered the installation of child safety seats before 
it became an industry standard.
  Jack was friends not just with CEOs of auto companies but with Ralph 
Nader.
  Remarkably, Jack transferred his company to employee stock ownership 
over the last year before his death. His legacy now lives on in his 
employees and in everybody in Montgomery County, Maryland, who loved 
him.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting the life of Jack Fitzgerald, 
who was a pillar of our community and a local hero. May his memory be a 
blessing.

                          ____________________