James Homer Fitzwater

James Homer Fitzwater, 86, of Catawba Island and formerly of Elyria passed away Sunday, July 20, 2025 at the Avon Hospital Cleveland Clinic. He was born March 24, 1939 of Fayetteville, WV the son of the late Homer and Beulah Fitzwater. He married Ann Marie Gorman on June 27, 1997. James graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1957, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Personnel Management and Business Education from West Virginia Institute of Technology in 1961, he received his Master of Arts Degree in Secondary School Administration in 1967 from Marshall University and he did graduate work at Akron University and Bowling Green State University.

He was a teacher at Wirt County High School from 1961 - 1962, a teacher and coach at Meadow Bridge High School in West Virginia from 1962 – 1964 and Firelands High School in Ohio from 1964 – 1965. He then worked in the Personnel Dept. at General Motors Corp. Elyria, OH from 1965 – 1968. He became the Assistant Principal at Elyria High School in 1968 and the Principal at Elyria West High School in 1973 where he retired in 1993. After retirement he worked for Wilmot Printing Co. from 1996 – 2004.

He was a Past Member of Ohio North Central Association, State Committee; Past Member of Lorain County Board of Education; Past Member of Phi Delta Kappa; Past Member of Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators and a member of Elks Lodge in Elyria, OH.

Surviving are his wife: Ann; brother Charles (Georgia) Fitzwater of Myrtle Beach, SC. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Robert Fitzwater.

Private family Entombment services will be held at Catawba Island Cemetery Columbarium. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P. O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101-9929, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana Gift Processing Center, P. O. 97104 Washington D.C. 20090-7104 or St. Joseph Catholic Church, 113 James St. Marblehead, OH 43440. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.neideckercrosserpriesman.com .