Charlotte Observer Logo

Charlotte resident, UNC alum Fitch dies at 90 | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Football

Charlotte resident, UNC alum Fitch dies at 90

By David Scott - dscott@charlotteobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 12, 2014 06:05 PM

Jack Fitch, a longtime Charlotte resident who played on North Carolina’s nationally ranked football teams of the 1940s, died Wednesday at the age of 90.

Fitch, a backfield teammate of Tar Heels great Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice, lived in Charlotte since 1948 and was an active member of Myers Park Baptist Church. Born March 9, 1924, Fitch arrived in Chapel Hill in 1942 from Etna, Pa., and played four seasons for the Tar Heels (taking two years to serve in World War II).

Fitch was good enough to be drafted by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Colts, then of the All-American Football Conference. According to a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1947, the Steelers cut Fitch less than a week after he was married.

The headline read: “Bridegroom Jack Fitch Released by Steelers.”

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Fitch and wife Mary Jane soon moved to Charlotte when Mary Jane got a job teaching swimming at the Charlotte Country Club. They remained in Charlotte for the rest of their lives. Jack Fitch worked for New York Life and was a member of the insurance industry’s Million Dollar Round Table which represents the top five percent of agents in the world. Mary Jane died in 2001.

Jack and Mary Jane Fitch raised a family of four children, all of whom were excellent athletes. John Fitch, the youngest, was a standout basketball player at South Mecklenburg High and later at Appalachian State. Daughter Janet Fitch Myers was an internationally-ranked racquetball player in the 1990s. Daughters Patty Fitch Matthews and Carol Fitch Crigler were outstanding swimmers and tennis players. Grandson Dennis Myers is the top-ranked racquetball player in North Carolina.

“Family was everything to him,” said John Fitch, now the boys’ basketball coach at South Meck. “We all played a lot of sports and he was always there with us.”

John Fitch said his father always stayed in shape, doing calisthenics daily and playing basketball until he was 55. He maintained his football-playing weight of 192 pounds.

John Fitch said his father didn’t tell his children much about his days as a football player at North Carolina. He also lettered in basketball in 1944.

“He didn’t want us to feel pressure from him,” John Fitch said.

He also kept his trophies and mementos from the children, although he showed them a game ball he received for the role he played in a Tar Heels victory over Penn in 1943, when he scored the game-winning touchdown and made a critical tackle at the end of the game.

He was also on the field when Justice, perhaps the Tar Heels’ greatest player, made a memorable 73-yard touchdown run in a game against Tennessee in 1946. The ninth-ranked Tar Heels lost 20-14 to the No. 10 Volunteers.

According to a UNC Library blog, Fitch told Justice, the run “was the prettiest thing I ever saw.”

Replied Justice, “Thanks Jack, but it wasn’t good enough to win.”

  Comments  

Videos

Riding with Recruits: Charlotte Country Day’s Triston Miller

Riding with QB recruit Sam Howell

View More Video

Trending Stories

Kannapolis Intimidators explain why they’re dropping Dale Earnhardt’s famous nickname

February 14, 2019 05:49 PM

That trendy CBD product in your smoothie? Adding it is illegal, NC officials say

February 15, 2019 11:56 AM

Largest tribe in East called NC home for centuries. Feds say it’s not Indian enough.

February 15, 2019 08:40 AM

After multiple attempts, Charlotte council member Braxton Winston gets served

February 15, 2019 11:29 AM

In Charlotte, Dave Chappelle makes more transgender jokes — and makes no apologies

February 15, 2019 01:47 AM

things to do

Read Next

Sports

Steve Sarkisian returns as Alabama’s offensive coordinator

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 05:12 PM

Steve Sarkisian is returning to Alabama as offensive coordinator, a position he held for the 2016 team in the national championship game loss to Clemson.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE FOOTBALL

Sports

Vols shuffle staff, add Ansley as defensive coordinator

February 15, 2019 04:26 PM

Sports

Former EMU football coach Rick Rasnick dies at age 59

February 15, 2019 04:12 PM

Sports

Missouri appeals NCAA sanctions levied against 3 sports

February 14, 2019 06:41 PM
California judge signs warrant for Nebraska RB Washington

Sports

California judge signs warrant for Nebraska RB Washington

February 14, 2019 06:25 PM

Sports

Syracuse inks DE transfer from Coastal Carolina

February 14, 2019 06:07 PM

Sports

Oregon parts ways with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt

February 14, 2019 03:45 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story