William Edward Fitzharris (Bill) March 3, 1951- October 2, 2022
Bill Fitzharris (William Edward Fitzharris, Jr.) and known to his friends as “Fitz,” grew up in New Jersey and Long Island as the eldest child of nine. In addition to being a caring and protective big brother, Bill loved sports from a young age and particularly excelled at lacrosse, which he went on to play as an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College. Bill always said he “went to law school to meet girls,” and so he did at Boston University Law School where he met his wife-to-be, Marsha. In the very last week of May 1976, the two married, graduated law school, and moved across the country to Seattle. It was here the couple built their legal careers which, for Bill, began as an attorney working for Legal Aid Services. He eventually retired from the law firm of Preg O’Donnell & Gillett.
During his tenure at POG, Bill handled many complex cases and tried several in both Washington and Oregon. He was also a trusted mentor to younger attorneys in the office. His kind heart and soft manner helped many times to give attorneys a better perspective on an otherwise stressful legal conundrum. Bill also played an important role with the Bar Association. He acted as an arbitrator of legal disputes between lawyers and clients. He also had the role as the firm’s ethics attorney, a position he held until his death.
Bill and Marsha were also big donors to some of our favorite charities. They regularly attended the KCBF Breakfast with Champions as well as the KCBA MLK Lunch, and always gave generously.
Bill was also a great father to two daughters. He was a softball nut and became a highly skilled umpire. He was also a big Sounders fan and charter season ticket holder.
He is survived by his wife, Marsha Pechman, his daughters Colleen and Ellen Fitzharris, his six living siblings, as well as nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family requests that those wishing to honor him make a donation to the King County Bar Foundation’s Neighborhood Legal Clinics.
