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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement May 1, 2006 [an error occurred while processing this directive] Giving back to a caring community By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune After a life of walking — he's a retired postman — and being helped by the Sisters of Providence at critical times in his life, John Fitzsimmons of Medford knew just where to pay it back in volunteer time. The cheery, 78-year-old Fitzsimmons shows up every day at Providence Medford Medical Center, usually at 6 in the morning, and puts in six or more hours as the go-to guy for anyone needing anything. "What do I do here? Everything, anything, helping anyone who has a problem or comes in the door looking confused and perplexed," says Fitzsimmons. "I ask how can I help you and I assure them I will stay with them till they get where they're going." In the 13 years since he started volunteering at Providence, Fitzsimmons has racked up an astounding 27,200 hours, more than twice the hours of the next most active volunteer. Fitzsimmons considers these long hours positive paybacks for the time when, in love with Joan, the woman he would marry 58 years ago, the Sisters of Providence in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa., helped him earn his high school diploma, a condition she put on their marriage. And, putting his hand in the Cancer Survivor's Wall at Providence, he says it was the Sisters and their doctors who helped him beat prostate cancer in 1993. "The Sisters are gone now, but they left a beautiful spirit here and when you walk through the halls, you can feel it," says Fitzsimmons, craning his neck to spot a possibly confused patient. "In the old days, they'd walk up to you and say, 'Honey, what can I do for you? Do you need a cup of coffee?' " Fitzsimmons dropped out of high school to serve in the Navy in World War II, a move that got him to Southern California, where he met his future wife and walked mail routes for 40 years. They have a daughter, Clairemarie, who works for Social Security in Medford, and two grandchildren, adopted from Bulgaria. Lauren Van Sickle, Providence public relations coordinator, tells the story of how Fitzsimmons approached a woman who had just lost her daughter in a car accident. "He wanted to comfort her. He took her to the BirthPlace, to look at newborns, help her clear her head and get her mind on something positive. She was so moved, so grateful, so impressed by the compassion John showed and wanted to give something back, so she gave a contribution to the Providence Foundation in her daughter's memory for new moms." The gift was a binder that's a tribute to her young daughter and an educational tool for mothers, she added. "John's a great guy. He's got a great sense of humor and dedication — often shows up to work at 5:30 in the morning," says fellow volunteer Ron Lippincott. Fred Wilkinson, Providence construction manager, calls Fitzsimmons "top notch, a bright, sunny guy who's very comforting to people who come here, especially to the cancer center. He recognizes what they're going through." To put in over 27,000 hours, jokes his wife, Joan, Fitzsimmons would have to be "crazy or extremely generous." But she thinks it's the latter. "It makes him very happy — and that makes me happy." Do you know someone who's a Hometown Hero? The first to volunteer when a school or a local family needs help, or someone who has risked his personal safety or financial security to help someone else? If you have any good subjects, submit suggestions to John Darling via e-mail at [email protected] or call the Mail Tribune at 776-4477. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy