John Hitchcock Fitzpatrick (April 5, 1923 – July 23, 2011) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 businessman and politician from Massachsuetts.

Born in Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...

, Fitzpatrick grew up in Rutland, Vermont. He served in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. After the war, Fitzpatrick went to Middlebury College

Middlebury College

Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...

 and in 1951 received his law degree from Boston University

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

. He work in his family's retail business. Eventually Fitzpatrick and his wife founded Country Curtains

Country Curtains

Country Curtains was founded by Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick in Whitman, Massachusetts in 1956. They started their business from their dining room table selling unbleached narrow muslin curtains. It was Jack’s idea to sell unbleached muslin ruffled curtains through the mail, reminiscent of their...

. From 1973 until 1980, Fitzpatrick served in the Massachusetts State Senate as a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

.