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Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday SWEET Jason
Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love...Aunt Christie

Once you have flown, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, there you long to return. -- Leonardo da Vinci

"Be certain that you do not takeold baggage into a new relationship or the old heartache will return...only witha new name.

LOVE: IF IT'S TRUE IT WILL COME BACK IF IT DOES NOT IT WAS NEVER THERE

There are a lot of people in this world, and you can live with practically anyone, but the key is to find someone that you can't live without."

Again you continue to amaze us..on

Wednesday July 9th Marshall, Dave, Cheri and I attended an award service ..the Jason Fitzsimmons Spirit Award Service.

UICI has designated an annual award to commemorate you and your professional and personal goals in life...WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!! Chet gave this speech (Jason's boss):

"Jason Fitzsimmons came to the Insurance Center in March of 2002. He moved here from Houston where he had worked as a network administrator and quickly became an intergral part of the UICI AST family. He was only 24 but had accomplished several of his professional and personal goals in life. He had told his family that he wanted to work in IT and he quickly accomplished that goal. For those who worked with Jason, you know what a free spirit he truly was, He had a very easy-going, laid back personality and was the type of person you always knew where he was coming from. He wasn't afraid to let you know where that was, especially first thing in the morning before he had has his coffee. He loved his family and hanging out with his friends. While Jason was a great team member to have and was here with us during late night and weekend implementations, it was his zest life that has left a lasting impression. Jason's skydiving friends said Jason was "living the life". They said that many people talk about doing things but Jason did them, There are those people who participate in the sport of skydiving that only jump now and then, those who only skydive but do not excel in their professional career and those who work to jump. These are the people they consider "living the life". These people tend to be successful professionally and in their passion for skydiving. This was Jason. Jason's enthusiasim for his sport and the things he wanted to accomplish in life were inspiring. He was even able to get a couple of co-workers to go jump out of a perfectly good plane, an experience neither will ever forget. The Jason Fitzsimmons Spirit Award has been created to recognize those people we work with that not only excel at work but also inspire us with the things they accomplish outside of the office. It is a fitting memorial for someone who, at such a young age, accomplished so much"

The statue, that was part of the award , was a beautiful eagle that had it's wings spread far apart. It was so befitting of the free spirit you truly were..........

We are all missing you so much Jason and as we travel back to Wrightsville beach this weekend your family will be celebrating you and continue to strive to be the kind of person you were and that we loved so much.

Love Aunt Christie

And if I go,
While you’re still here ……
Know that I live on,
Vibrating to a different
measure
behind a thin veil
you cannot see through.
You will not see me,
So you must have faith.
I wait for the time when we
Can soar together again,
-both aware of each other.
Until then, live your life to the fullest.
And when you need me,
Just whisper my name in
Your heart,
…I will be there

Colleen Corah Hitchcock

We miss you so much Jason

Love,
Dad, Lorri, Tory and Roy

I can’t do anything without having a memory of Jason popping up. He made me laugh so much, that it’s impossible not to have a smile on my face whenever I’m thinking of him.

Shortly after we began seeing each other, there was a time when we were getting into a battle over something and he finally just said, “Oh pipe down.” I started laughing so hard, because I’d never heard anyone use that phrase before. After he saw how much I enjoyed it, he would constantly say it, and it always got me laughing. On the days that I just don’t know how I’ll get through this, I just imagine Jason telling me to “Pipe down” (or quoting his little cousin, Jackson) and it helps me to stop crying.

Jason and I seemed to spend a lot of time listening to music. Every time I think of him singing along to “Rocky Raccoon” I have to start laughing. Even though he was driving while he was singing, he still managed to stomp his foot and play air harmonica along with the song. It was hilarious. We had a lot of the same taste in music—except for country, which he despised. One day he told me that he was flipping through the stations and heard the absolute worst country song in his life. He told me he was tempted to call me up right at the moment, so I could hear the song. He swore that if I had heard that terrible song, I would have been forever turned off by country music (Nice try, Jason. It’ll never happen).

When we weren’t listening to Dave Matthews or his friend Dave’s band, Polariss, he would play Carole King, the Beatles, and old, old Genesis for me constantly. One day he told me that he had the perfect song for me to hear. It was an old Genesis song that talked about Juliet living upstairs, and Romeo downstairs in his basement flat. He was laughing at how fitting that song was for us. (for those of you that don’t know, Jason’s apartment is downstairs from mine.)

Every time I look at his balcony, I can just picture him standing there when he first returned from North Carolina. He looked so tan and he had that great smile. I told my friends that I could never complain about his smoking, because if it wasn’t for his numerous trips out to his balcony who knows how long it would have taken before we would have met.

I can’t believe how many different things we’ve discussed. That’s why it’s so hard for me to comprehend the fact that we were only together for one month. How does someone become such a huge part of your life in such a short time? It just makes me realize how special my relationship was with him. While the length of our time together was very short, the memories we shared together seem to be immeasurable.

Every time I think of that adorable dimple and how he used it to charm his way out of situations, I have to smile. Anytime he’d make an obnoxious comment, he’d just say, “Hey Cheri,” and continue to point at his dimple until I started to laugh.

Besides cracking me up all the time, Jason would also do the sweetest things for me. Sometimes it would just amaze me to see him switch from his obnoxious behavior into this totally considerate guy. Anyone that can sit and listen to a million stories about my students has got to be pretty great. When he wanted to take me to dinner after my first day of school, I warned him that the entire conversation would probably revolve around my experiences with my new class, and he was totally fine with that saying that he loved to hear me talk about them.

Jason was so excited when he got his new skydiving helmet. He came upstairs and was modeling it for me right away. He even wore it while he took a smoke break on my balcony. We would joke about whether or not it was going to be hard for him to get used to wearing the camera on his helmet too, and joked that he was going to start walking around with his head tilted to the left from the weight. After that first weekend of filming, he was the happiest guy in the world. As soon as he got home that Sunday night, he had me come downstairs so I could watch the footage from all 18 jumps he’d done that weekend. Then he managed to spend every single evening of the following week editing that film. I swear I watched a million versions of the video that’s on the website now. He’d be downstairs editing, while I was upstairs grading, until he got hungry and would come up to steal my food. He was so excited once he finally decided on the music for the film too. Being the picky person that he was, he was bothered by the fact that the music ends just a moment before his video ends. As he left for skydiving that last weekend, I said to him, “Well, let me guess what you’re going to be doing all next week?” “What’s that?” “Editing your footage from this weekend.” “Yep, it’s going to be a new cycle- shoot footage all weekend, and edit the following week.”

Everything was so comfortable about our relationship. Hanging out on the balcony was one of my favorite things. We’d sit there and talk about how much we enjoyed our lives, how much we loved our jobs and share tons of stories about our families and friends. We loved to watch storms come and go too. The two of us would also complain that we never saw other neighbors just sitting out on their balconies like us, enjoying the evening. I’d set up our “ghetto ottomans” (two cardboard boxes) and we’d sit back and relax. He’d talk about how he wanted to get a pilot’s license, take scuba diving lessons, buy a trailer to keep at the drop zone, and get an SUV to tow it.

Having met Jason really is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I still feel like he’s with me all the time. It hurts so much to know he’s gone. I still have so much trouble accepting the fact that this is forever. When you’re so used to seeing someone every single day, it leaves such an empty feeling inside to know they aren’t coming back.

I really believe that Jason and I moved into the same apartment building for a reason. I think we were meant to meet and share such great times together. I really do feel so lucky to think that God chose me to be his girlfriend. Jason I will never, ever forget you. I feel blessed to know that I have two guardian angels to watch over me now. Jason, Grandma Katie is used to helping me out in life and I think she played a large part in bringing us together in the first place. I’m so extremely grateful for that.

I miss you so much!
Cheri

Just a few short words...
I never met Jason , we were friends of Brad we went to Whistler in march 2002 and met Brad there. Brad would say how much he loved skydiving and Iam sure you ( Jason) was a big part of all his enjoyment in skydiving. To all Jason's family and friends our deepest sympathies go out to you all.

Tony , Helen from the uk.

When we met, the two of us had not yet taken much advantage of what life had to offer. I've thought a great deal about the loss of my friend. I think about all adventures we shared, the lessons we learned together, and the plans we made for the future. I have never had someone close to me die. When I heard the news, I thought. . . .no, it can't be. . .not to Jason. . .not to one of us. How could it be? We still have too many things to do.. . he can't go yet. It's very difficult for me to come to terms with this realization. . .I'm not sure that I ever will. Thinking about this tragedy has kept me up nights, wondering. . .why?. . . what's the reason for this? why does this make sense? I run through it over and over and I always come back to a piece of reasoning that helps me fall asleep: Jason loved life. He loved his existence.

I can remember a time when a small group of us were camping in Conroe, TX. Four young men were talking around the campfire. .. about girls, parties, college plans, trips we'd take; at one point someone looked up at the stars and asked one of the age old questions. . ."how did we all get here?". The debate went on for what seemed like hours as it has for centuries. In the middle of the arguing, Jason made the point this it doesn't matter how we all got here. . .what matters is how we are going to use the time that we have. Knowing what I know now, knowing that his time was cut shorter than most, part of me feels very sad. But the other part of me feels happy. . . thinking about the fact that Jason made the most of the time he had. He did more in his short life than most do in full lifetimes. He was an adventurer and traveler. . . .a sportsman. . he appreciated the simple things in life, as well as the complicated. He focused on those things that were most important to him. His family, his friends, his happiness, his career. So many spend the better part of their life trying to find their place in this world, and so many fail. Jason knew exactly what made him happy and why it made him happy. I believe that at the time of his death, he was the happiest he'd ever been. He had a great job, a wonderful girlfriend, family that loved him, many close friends. . ..and he participated in exciting hobbies that complimented his personality. I'm able to get back to sleep because I know that Jason practiced exactly what he preached at that campsite that night. He sought life in a manner we can all learn from.

I'd like to share with everyone some of the experiences that Jason and I had together, experiences that reflect his passion for life and his goodhearted nature. We stayed out of trouble for the first year or so. Jason worked at Burger King for that year. Andrew and I would be over there every single day bothering Jason. He was such a good guy. . . .he would get us free food every time we went in. I had free lunch, and sometimes dinner, for the whole year. Most of the time I didn't even ask. We'd sit down, and Jason would come over with a tray of food. In addition. . .there was a very cute girl that worked with him. He put in a good word for me and she and I ended up together for a while. I refer to those time as the Burger King days. Jason provided me free food and a great girlfriend. . . .what a combo!!!

The following year I became a senior, he was a junior. This is when we started to cause a little trouble. Beer came into the scenario and things were never the same. There was that time that we were going to drive downtown to see the Pink Floyd laser light show. We got down there and realized that we had missed the show. Not wanting to waste an evening, we tried to think of what we could do at that hour. . .11pm. Not much for underage guys to do.. . .we decided, without giving it much thought. . ."why not just keep driving south".. . .so we drove all the way to the Galveston that night. In retrospect it was pretty dumb. . . a two hour drive in the middle of the night, to a place we new nothing about, after already having a few drinks. We sat out there, on the peer, had a few beers, and stared at the ocean for a while. It was so nice out there, so much fun. We didn't get home till the sun came out. What a blast!

Marsh and Vicki were always so cool. They gave Jason a lot of leeway. .. .even though they knew he was going to be hanging out with me. I think that the leeway was part of what helped J develop such a love for life. I too had a lot of leeway with my parents. With more freedom, we were able to get out and do more. True. . ..we made more mistakes, and got in more trouble than we would have otherwise. . ..but sometimes you learn more after making the mistake, than from just getting the parental lesson. . .and it's the experiences we were able to take part in, because of the leeway, that made us who we were.

There was the time that some other friends dragged Jason and I to a dance club. We were still just under 21 and could not get beer at the bar. We decided to sneak in a few Heinekens. We were having such a good time. . .I was actually convinced to get out on the dance floor. Jason was happy were he was and offered to stay and hang on to my beer. What we didn't know was that the dance club did not serve Heineken. One of the security guards noticed Jason with the two bottles. It's pretty tough to argue your way out of that one when the bar doesn't offer that kind of beer. Marsh had to come all the way out and pick up J. Security knew that there had to be another guy since J had two beers in his hand. He never turned me in though. He actually gave me a nod to get the heck out of the bar before they took him into the office.. . . .what great guy he was. . ..

Once we hit 21, things just got crazier. We had many late nights and took many road trips. I ended up going to college in Austin, while J went to Tech. I would spend summers up in New York at my parents lake house. One summer we were throwing a big 4th of July party. We had a band set up on the cliffs, a big bonfire, outdoor bar. .. the works. As soon as J got wind of the event, he bought a plane ticket and flew up from TX. He didn't want to miss something like that with his buddy, and he had never been in that area before. He couldn't possibly pass on an opportunity like that considering his love of life. We ended up having one of the best nights ever. I've actually got some video of the night that will be on the tribute tape I am putting together. (for those interested, we are designing a video tape that will include pictures and video clips of Jason's life. If anyone would like a copy, please contact me). After the party, I was supposed to drive back to TX alone, as my summer job was beginning. J decided to drive back with me, rather than fly back. We had a great time just heading back on the road. . .that in itself was worth him flying up

.I've got a million more stories to tell about this guy, so if anyone wants to talk sometime, please give me a call. Jason will be sorely missed by all that new him. I feel fortunate to have been able to spend all the time I had with him. He would always comment about the influence I had on him. . .on the things that I taught him. . ..the good and the bad. . .but I think I learned twice as much from him than he ever did from me. Because of him I will always give the extra effort to make the most of my time. . .to appreciate life. . .and to concentrate on doing those things that I know make me happy. As J showed us, it doesn't matter how we got here so much as, what we do now that we are here. Goodbye J, we loved you and we'll miss you. ACE

Eric Arthur
Seattle, WA
w. (425)450-1090
h. (425)444-0507

Love Mom

Dear Jason,

I was thinking about you today and I had to chuckle. After living next door to you for so many years, I am blessed with many fond memories.

I think of many times walking through the gate between our houses and seeing your long legs hanging out from under your car. 'Hey, Jason' - 'Hi, Miss Tam.' And I would walk by like you belonged under there.

Remember when you would come up the drive way and Matt's bike would be in your way and you would hang his bike up in the tree?

The coonskin hat party? The Cutco Knife presentation? You and Sparky swimming out to see the dolphins?

And the day you came over with one of your first skydive videos. I've really never seen such JOY! I just had to have some of that!! Thanks for sharing that joy with me!

The memories are many, but today I laugh when I think of the faces of all those angels as you flew into heaven (upside down, no doubt! Saying~Yeah, Baby!) I think of the joy you are sharing there, as you are probably teaching them how to do tricks in flight, how to pack their own wings,or perhaps organizing some sort of ring jump!!

I will always miss you, Jason, but with a smile. You were not just my neighbor. You were my friend ! I celebrate your life and the wonderful and loving way you lived it.

Affectionately,
Miss Tammie

PS: Spunks sends his love.

Recently I dreamt of a visit with a friend who had overcome a precarious situation. Surrounded by his loved ones, the young man was in the highest of spirits and explained that he was wonderful, even better than he ever had been. The dream alarmed me, as I recalled another hopeful dream I had within hours of losing a loved one. Now I’ve learned we have lost Jason. I adored him and miss him. It’s comforting to imagine the young man in my dream could be Jason, calmly explaining that he is divine.

Lisa

Memorial Speech given by Christine:
I went on the internet last night looking for a skydiver’s prayer. The one I found I shouldn’t repeat in front of children. I did find a list of “you know you’re a skydiver when” statements and a few reminded me of Jason. You know you’re a skydiver when

• On a cloudy and windy day you go to the drop zone anyway and bitch about the weather.
• You walk everywhere watching the sky.
• When you buy anything you equate it to how many skydives it will cost.
• Buying a house seems like a terrible waste of jump money.

Anyone who knew Jason knew his passion for skydiving, his interest in computers and how much he loved his family and friends. He always tried to get his friends to experience the thrill and joy he felt skydiving...(more)

I came across this and thought of sending it to my daughter for her birthday. After reading it, i feel it may be helpful for all who love and miss Jason.
"Have you ever felt that inner tug or a silent voice of caution or an invisible hand leading you down some path? It just might be your Angel making sure everything is okay. And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear all of your Angel's love around you soft and clear."
- Nora

Sincerely,
Chris Sekin

I first met Jason while working at TETRA Technologies Inc. He came to work for the MIS department after attending classes at Texas Tech. He had always told me that he was interested in computers and technology. When he first came to work for the computer department, he had an insatiable appetite for knowledge. He calmly handled everything that faced him, nothing ever made him uneasy professionally. There were times we in the department had troubles here and there, but Jason didn’t let this bother him, he steadily worked through it and found a solution. He always cordially dealt with every person that had problems, no matter how irate, and fixed them. What made “Fitz” stand apart from the rest was his desire to get things done, but with regard to what the end result was. This puzzled me, everyone in our field seems to fixate on just making money and getting the least amount of hassle. Not Fitz, he enjoyed and excelled with the problems he faced. This is when I realized what caliber of a man he was.

As a friend, he was top shelf. We would go to Molly’s and let off steam after work, and shop talk most of the time. He was always about having a good time. Never a prejudice, or angry bone in his body. He welcomed everyone into his company regardless.

The last I heard from Jason is when he worked at Solid Systems, my business partner said his main passion was skydiving. I muttered to myself, "that crazy fitz". By that time Jason had moved to Dallas. Some time went by and I had always thought of Fitz here and there.

I am still trying to be like you Fitz, you were a first rate friend, data man, and someone who wasn't afraid to take a chance.

When I see you next, the Chimay's are on me.

Jake

I cannot express to you my respect, love, and admiration for you. When you first came to meet us in Connecticut, I could not believe how you melded so easily into our family. You handled what could have been an awkward situation with such ease and confidence. As your Dad always said about you, "he just dazzled me". I've learned over the years not to care much about what other people thought of me, but I did care what you thought. You were so mature beyond your years, and incredibly special. Although our time as a family was not too long, I am so proud to call you my stepson. I wish that Tory and Roy could have had you in their lives longer. I learned so much from you in the short time we had. There will always be a hole that will never be filled, until we meet again.

Love,
Lorri

I can't begin to describe what it was like making friends with you at the DZ and spending countless hours jumping together. It takes time to make bonds beyond the sit-fly campfires, tube exits, and lawn darts. As much as I enjoy skydiving, I enjoyed being with you guys even more. You made skydiving fun. You pushed me to be a better skydiver; you encouraged me even when we busted the dive-flow; and you never had a harsh word to say.

Your maturity in the sport was well beyond the number of jumps you had, and I trusted you on *every* single exit from the plane. We couldn't have progressed as fast as we did without the trust and confidence in each other. I value that more than any difficult dock or perfect swoop landing. In writing this, it dawns on me what skydiving is about. It's about the people you meet and put your trust in. It's about the friendships you build and develop not only in the sky but, more importantly, on the ground. It's about the brotherhood of sharing a passion. That's skydiving... that's you guys.

I feel robbed that our time together was cut short, but the opportunity to be your friend and skydiving partner will last a lifetime. Thanks for the time we shared together. It was the best time of my life.

Blue skies forever,
Scott

I know that words can not express the loss and sorrow that you are feeling now. However, I do know that God will provide special comfort and relief from unbearable sorrow and He is gracious to all. My prayer is that you will experience that comfort today.

Ray Symens

I never met Jason, but Brad Walk who died with Jason on that fateful day was one of the best friends and roommates I ever had. When I heard what had happened I was obviously devastated about Brad, but I also felt horrible for Jason because while Brad was 33 which is way too young to be taken from us, I know that Jason was only 24. I had the good fortune ... (more)

Jason passing has given many sleepless hours at night asking why this is happening. I am not use to the pain of loss in family members. I have been fortunte in that respect till now. I was angry that he is not here. Not with me, but here, with the family. It was not his time. This was selfish of me. Me.... wanting what I thought should be mine..my friend. How could God take him. Now I realize. Life is a gift of God. Freely given to be used as we choose to live it.....free. He wishes only that we acknowlege his love and honor Him in our deeds. Jason..today....throught his life and presence among his many friends...in ways I think even he did not realize...has fulfilled his debt to our Lord for the gift of his life.....and surely will abide for eternity among those who dare to live life to it's fullest. I know that Jason would not want the pain we are suffering to be our final memory. He would have us soar with him..to eternity......please that I will someday soar with him again. Dear Lord.

Uncle Bill &.Aunt Christie

- Phillip

I only knew Jason for a few months while we both were at Downstream Energy. He was always fun to be around and I always knew that I could depend on him. Also, he could always find a way of making me laugh when there wasn't much to laugh about. He was a great person and a he will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

John Silver
Downstream Energy

To Jason's family, you can be proud of the man he was becoming. You raised him well and he was a respected co-worker and friend. I miss him.

Tina Zelahy
TETRA Technologies, Inc.

Jason was like an angel - a sweet baby face attached to a big hard-working body. He would move huge pieces of furniture by himself without any regard to what it might do to his back. Jason was so good-natured - always smiling and willing to help whenever possible. He grew up in our company from a high school student to a nice, handsome young man. He was well liked by everyone and had no known enemies. He will always be fondly remembered by those of us who worked closely with him at TETRA.

Lynette Corder
281/362-9735 X14

Paul