Zoe FitzGerald-Beckett was a thoughtful, loving and dedicated wife, mother, sister and friend filled with joy and energy. She left this world suddenly on 1 August 2024, age 70 after experiencing a heart attack in her sleep at her home in Chichester, UK.
She was born to Connie and George FitzGerald in Flushing, NY USA as the third of four sisters (Susan, Joan and Connie). While working at the Commonwealth Trading Bank in NYC, she met and fell in love with charming Englishman Peter Charles Beckett in 1978 and they married in 1979 in NYC. They went on to have two children, Alison and Ian.
Zoe and Peter moved between the US and UK several times, and many of the family’s formative friendships were made during their time in London from 1984-1990. After London, Zoe and Peter lived in Port Washington, NY; Marblehead, MA; Appleton, ME and most recently Chichester, UK. Zoe had a rich and diverse set of passions including gardening, organic lawn & garden care, natural health for people and the planet, writing and reading poetry and building community wherever she went. She was an avid letter writer and was constantly learning new things, from how to raise chickens or bees to experimenting with new forms of creative writing.
A champion for nature, she became a volunteer at Tuppenny Barn, a horticultural and sustainability project in Emsworth. She also gave her time and expertise to the Bishops Palace Gardens and Oaklands Garden, where she met new friends who were kindred spirits. She loved living in Chichester and cherished the last 1.5 years back in the UK where she was reunited with many dear friends and family.
Zoe was predeceased by her father, mother and younger sister Connie. She is survived by her husband Peter and her two children Alison and Ian, along with her sisters Susan Keenan, Joan Powers and their families, a loving extended family in both the UK and US and an incredible network of friends who love her dearly. We will all miss her greatly.
A private cremation ceremony was held in Chichester on the 16th of August, and a memorial service is being planned to which all who knew her will be welcomed this November. If you would like to commemorate Zoe’s life, we know she would appreciate your support of Tuppenny Barn where she spent many a happy day volunteering in their gardens. https://www.tuppennybarn.co.uk/support-us/
