John A. Fitch

John was born in Annapolis, Maryland, raised in Leonia, New Jersey, and was educated at Wooster College in Ohio and at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey.

John, alongside his beloved wife of 67 years, Anne Scovel Fitch, served several churches in the central New Jersey and southern New York regions during the 1950s and ’60s. In 1967, they moved to Saranac Lake, where they resided as full time residents until 1991, and as summer residents until 2020 at their cabin on Upper Saranac Lake — a home that John built entirely by himself over the years.

John served the Saranac Lake Central School District from 1967 until 1991 as the dean of students, was a regular preacher during the summers at Chapel Island on Upper Saranac Lake, and served two terms as a Saranac Lake village trustee.

From 1991 to 2001, John and Anne fulfilled a lifelong dream of living on a boat during the winter months, travelling along the inland waterways to and from Florida each year. Finally, they settled in Port Orange, Florida in 2001 during the winter months, where John served as a parish associate at Port Orange Presbyterian Church and enjoyed his daily walks around the lake with his dog Louie. In June of this year John and Anne moved back north to be closer to their children and their families who consider themselves blessed to have been able to spend time with him before he passed.

John loved and respected all people; he was a kind, wise yet humble man who touched many hearts over the course of his lifetime.

To his family and those who knew him well, he was a true Renaissance man, capable of preaching an inspiring sermon on Sunday morning, and then off to rebuild his Jeep motor or work on the cabin later that afternoon. He loved and valued all people and was as comfortable and excited discussing cabin plumbing issues down at Hulberts, as he was meeting with his fellow Rotarians. He felt blessed to have been able to know so many of the high school students over the years and prided himself on his ability to recognize them and their children over the many years afterward.

John is survived by his wife Anne Scovel Fitch of Severna Park, Maryland; his eldest son David, wife Vera, and daughter Bethany Fitch from Westminster, Maryland; son Andrew Fitch from Colorado Springs, Colorado; daughter Lorraine Fitch Harmon, husband Tom, son Jacob, and daughter Anna of Pasadena, Maryland; and two sisters, Sally Gerdes of South Carolina and Mimi Fleming of Ohio.

A celebration of life service will be held on Oct. 15, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church of Saranac Lake, 57 Church St., at 1 p.m., followed by a time for fellowship.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Island Chapel Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 71, Saranac Lake, NY 12983.