William Marty
Fitz-Gibbon: August 1934-July 2012
With great
sorrow, the family of William
Fitz-Gibbon announces his death from
complications of surgery on July 30,
2012, three weeks short of his 78th birthday.
Mr. Fitz-Gibbon grew up in Cleveland,
Ohio, and in 1956 graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in geophysics from
MIT. After a stint in the military, he
taught math and physical sciences at
secondary schools in Switzerland,
England, and Arizona before moving to
Los Angeles in 1964. He earned a masters
degree in math and math education from
UCLA, and in 1968 began a remarkable
34-year career as a teacher in the Los
Angeles school district.
In 1971 he created a program for highly
gifted students at the junior high
level. Housed at Walter Reed
Junior High (now Walter Middle School),
the Individualized Honors Program, known
as IHP, drew students from the district
at large. Mr. Fitz-Gibbon taught, among
other subjects, AP Calculus, AP Physics,
and AP Chemistry. Early in his teaching
career,
he developed a forward-looking
interdisciplinary curriculum for the 7th grade
introductory science class. Some
students have said that this course,
“From the big bang to DNA,” inspired
them to think about careers in science.
It is true that a large number of his
students have become scientists,
engineers, computer engineers,
physicians and science teachers, but he
was equally proud of his many students
who have excelled as professors in the
humanities and in other professions. In
addition to his classroom work, Mr.
Fitz-Gibbon coached some of his best 7th and
8th grade
math students for the annual national
math competition called MathCounts. His
students won numerous awards at the
local, region and state levels, and on
some occasions, at the national level as
well. After his retirement in 2003, Mr.
Fitz-Gibbon continued to coach the IHP
math teams until he was beset by illness
in 2011.
Mr. Fitz-Gibbon is survived by his wife
Deborah Bochner Kennel, his son Keir
Fitz-Gibbon (Anna Bevan) of London and
children Zack, Stella, Lucas and Alice,
and by his daughter Sorel Fitz-Gibbon
(David Paige) of Los Angeles and
children Taylor, Eric and Emmie. He
leaves a brother Paul Fitz-Gibbon of
Rancho Santa Margarita, California, and
sisters Susan Winton of Chicago,
Illinois, Carol Showalter of Wisconsin
Dells, Wisconsin, and Jane McKenna of
Redding, California, eleven nephews and
nieces, and sixteen great-nephews and
nieces. He is also survived by his
former wife and mother of his children
Carol Taylor Fitz-Gibbon. He will be
missed by his step-son Matthew Bochner
Kennel (Maria Winograd) of San Diego,
step-daughter Sarah Kennel (John Maggs)
of Washington DC and children Luca,
Ariel and Talia.
Details for a celebration of Bill’s
life will be posted at the below website
after August 14. In lieu of flowers,
the family requests donations are made
in his memory to Walter Reed IHP (http://www.reedfihp.org).
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