ALGONA — Thomas James “Tom” Fitzpatrick, 79, of Algona, a state champion wrestler, U.S. Navy veteran, former law enforcement officer and lifelong adventurer whose remarkable experiences included a nationally publicized river rescue, passed away November 2, 2026. From the wrestling mats of northern Iowa to the Mediterranean Sea and the waterways he loved, Fitzpatrick built a life rich in experiences, friendships and stories.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 7, 2026, at New Hope Church in Algona. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the service at 10:30 a.m.
Interment of his ashes, with military honors, will take place privately with family members in the spring of 2027.
Born February 16, 1947, in Algona to James Harvey Fitzpatrick and Dorothy Mae (Brethorst) Fitzpatrick, Tom became an outstanding athlete at Algona High School. He captured the 1966 Iowa Class A heavyweight wrestling championship and helped his team win the state championship that year. His success earned him a full scholarship to Wayne State College in Nebraska.
Fitzpatrick served in the United States Navy from 1967 to 1971 as an Aerographer’s Mate. After basic training at Great Lakes and meteorology training that included Lakehurst, New Jersey, he served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence in the Mediterranean Sea.
Returning to Iowa, he worked as a Kossuth County deputy sheriff and a night marshal in Swea City while attending community college in Estherville. He later studied civil engineering at Iowa State University before entering livestock management, eventually co-managing one of the largest hog confinement operations in the northeastern United States. Later, he especially enjoyed working as a feed truck driver.
His adventurous spirit lasted throughout his life. At age 35, he took up rugby, playing locally and in Pennsylvania, where he became affectionately known as “the old guy on the field.” Fishing, sailing, canoeing and boating were other passions. His sailing adventures reached the Florida Keys and the Virgin Islands.
One extraordinary adventure came in July 2016, when Fitzpatrick and his granddaughter Anaya Benedict were stranded on the East Fork of the Des Moines River. After he suffered a heart attack, Kossuth County emergency responders used a newly acquired drone to locate them and assist in their rescue. The incident drew national attention as an early drone-assisted rescue.
Tom wrote poetry and loved literature, especially the works of Robert Frost, whose verses he could recite from memory. He enjoyed gardening, playing euchre, participating in his community and attending New Hope Church in Algona.
In later years, a cherished routine was visiting friends at the Feed Mill coffee shop each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For Tom, coffee meant conversation, friendship and community. During the previous Christmas season, he read The Night Before Christmas to local children at the Feed Mill. Lifelong friends Bill Farnham and Dave Gerber, both of Algona, remained especially important to him.
Fitzpatrick married Nancy Layton in November 1967. They had two daughters, Laura and Sara, before divorcing. He married Jane Adele Layman in August 1978, and their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1981. They divorced in 1998 but grew close again in later life. His obituary also identifies her as Jane Adele Gaines. He shared meaningful relationships with Cindy Welch and Brenda Wiederin of Algona, both of whom preceded him in death.
He is survived by daughters Laura Slattery of Salem, Oregon; Sara (Brad) Stilley of Riverside, California; and Elizabeth Anne Fitzpatrick of Columbia, Missouri.
Survivors also include grandchildren Matt (Krista) Busby of Glendale, Arizona; Jessica Busby of Temecula, California; Emma Stilley; Hannah Stilley; and Anaya Benedict of Columbia, Missouri. His great-grandchildren are Jacob, Benjamin and Charlotte Busby, and Nora Mae, Jessica Busby’s daughter.
Also surviving are his sister Gail Perkins of Florida; niece Stephanie Lynn Fitzpatrick of St. Louis, Missouri, daughter of his late brother Steven Neil Fitzpatrick; and Jane Adele Gaines, with whom he renewed a close relationship late in life.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James Harvey and Dorothy Mae Fitzpatrick, and brother Steven Neil Fitzpatrick.
Condolences and memorial tributes may be shared through the Thomas Fitzpatrick obituary at Lentz Funeral Home.
From state wrestling glory and the Mediterranean Sea to the rivers of Iowa and the familiar coffee table at the Feed Mill, Tom’s life was filled with stories worth telling.
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