John William Fitch, 71, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, went to be with his Lord on March 1, 2023, at Clarehouse hospice. John was born September 12, 1951, in Neptune, New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Deborah Matteson Fitch; and their two sons, Jason Fitch and wife Sara Fitch, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Abel Fitch and his partner Alison Wagner, of Encinitas, California. John is also survived by two brothers, Dr. Jeffrey Fitch of Wall Township, New Jersey, and Michael Fitch of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He also leaves behind his dear Aunt Betty Bresnahan, of Freehold, New Jersey, and many cousins and other loved ones as well. Finally, John also leaves behind his four beloved grandsons, Colin, Liam, Ethan and Jude Fitch, all of whom have brought immeasurable joy to his life.

John was unashamed and yet very humbly open with his faith, sharing with many over the years how God had changed his life in a moment. He loved airplanes since he was a little boy and worked as an aircraft mechanic while serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict. He was a gifted custom woodworker for over 35 years, creating masterpieces with wood that brought beauty and joy to countless families. He was an avid OU sports fan, especially OU football and OU girl's softball, and he never missed watching the Little League World Series from start to finish! However, one of his greatest joys in life was becoming a father and grandfather. He was the ultimate lover of children, and his most treasured activities in his latter years was working with disabled children through horseback therapy with the Shining Stars ministry in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; being a classroom volunteer with the students at The Little Lighthouse, a school for developmentally challenged children in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and opening up the playroom for the children who were patients at the St. Francis Children's Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

A Celebration of Life will be held in John's honor on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in Sunshine Hall at The Little Lighthouse, 5120 E 36th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Little Lighthouse at littlelighthouse.org.

To all our east coast family and friends, a second Celebration of Life is being planned in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to be held within the next few months. Details to follow.