Charmaine T. Fitzgerald, MA, age 89, of Fresno, California, passed away peacefully on July 10, 2025.

Born July 5, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, to Richard Henry and Marie Sylvia Tourville, Charmaine was the first woman in her family to graduate from college—a proud 1958 alumna of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, where she majored in Home Economics and was an active member of Theta Upsilon (now Delta Zeta).

Her professional life was as vibrant as her spirit. After a brief teaching post in Lake Forest, IL, Charmaine accepted her dream role as Director of Student Activities at the University of Idaho, where she brought campus life to life—welcoming guests like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra to campus to perform, and building student engagement from the ground up. It was there, at St.

Mary's Catholic Church in Moscow, that she first heard Eugene Fitzgerald sing…and the rest, as they say, is history.

Charmaine and Eugene married in 1961 and eventually settled in Fresno in 1966, raising three children and planting deep roots in the Central Valley. In 1989, while teaching elementary school full-time, Charmaine earned her master's degree in Early Childhood Education from CSU  Fresno. Over the course of her 45-year career, she taught every grade from preschool to college,  leaving a lasting mark on students, families, and fellow educators alike. She served as adjunct faculty at both Fresno City College and CSU Fresno, where she inspired generations of adult  learners.

A longtime advocate and leader in the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC), Charmaine held numerous leadership roles including Chapter President and State Treasurer during a period of strategic statewide growth. In 2016, she was honored as  Volunteer of the Year by the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. In 2020, CSU Fresno selected Charmaine as the Paul Fansler Early Childhood Educator of the Year, a capstone to her extraordinary career.

Charmaine also co-founded Special Moments, an event planning business that brought beauty and joy to weddings and celebrations across the Central Valley. She was known for her warmth, generosity, and creative touch. As a Home Economics major, she found joy in both sewing and  cooking—but it was in the kitchen that her love shone most clearly. Cooking was a sacred inheritance passed down from her mother and grandparents, and Charmaine lovingly passed it on to her daughters, who are now passing it on to their children. Her meals weren't just delicious,  they were a living expression of her love, her commitment to family tradition, and her never ending care for others.

A devoted member of St. Paul's Catholic Newman Center since 1970, Charmaine taught CCD, was part of the RCIA team, and joyfully served in many other volunteer roles over the years.  Even in retirement, she remained committed to mentoring others and developing a guidebook for  early childhood educators.

Charmaine was preceded in death by her husband of 30 years, Eugene Fitzgerald, and their son, Sean Christian Fitzgerald. She is survived by her daughters, Meghan Raimundo, Ed.D (Ian) of  Exeter, NH, and Catherine Manfredo (Lee Parker) of Fresno; her brother, Jack Tourville of  Evanston, IL; and her five treasured grandchildren: Ian Manfredo, DMD (Marisa Maura, OD) of  Sarasota, FL, Dominic Manfredo of Huntington Beach, Jason Manfredo of San Diego, Marie  Raimundo, and Hazel Raimundo of Exeter, NH.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

A rosary will be held at 6pm, July 23 and a mass in Celebration of Charmaine's Life will be held at 10am, July 24. Both services will be at St. Paul Catholic Newman Center.