On April 26, 2024, we lost someone really special to us here at Metalfab, an incredible man who went by the name of Mike Fitzpatrick. Some of you had the pleasure of working with him on conceptualizing your custom fire truck.
Through his business, ERL, Mike was the Metalfab representative for Newfoundland, and he worked with us for over 28 years. In that time, we saw Mike as a man that worked extremely hard but who also had a strong focus on his family life. He had a very comical nature and was extremely talkative. Driving trips with Mike were never boring.
One memory we have of Mike is when he picked up a truck to be delivered from our plant close to Christmas. When he arrived at the ferry terminal, the ferry had been delayed by days due to inclement weather. He finally arrived in Newfoundland on Christmas Eve in the evening. Mike remained calm about the whole situation, but he did jokingly let us know that, although he was up for doing a delivery that close to Christmas again, he was strongly advised not to by his wife.
Mike never took a day off. He ran his own business and he was dedicated to it. Son Adam recalls that his late father taught him early on how important it was to go the extra mile and how Mike would wake up early every morning and work weekends just so he could spend his days interacting with customers, building those relationships that made him so good at what he did.
Despite working long hours, Mike never missed any of his kids’ games or other family events. He was just as dedicated to his family as he was to his work, and he made time for it all. “I’m sure he was part robot because he barely ever slept,” Adam recalls fondly.
It didn’t matter who you were or what your background was, Mike always had the ability to find some common ground. People were people to Mike, regardless of their situation. Norman Knab, a former employee of Mike’s, recalls how his late boss took a chance on him, even when he didn’t have a work permit. Norman was a single father at the time and brought his kids to the interview. Mike hired him on the spot.
It didn’t matter who you were or what your background was, Mike always had the ability to find some common ground. People were people to Mike, regardless of their situation. Norman Knab, a former employee of Mike’s, recalls how his late boss took a chance on him, even when he didn’t have a work permit. Norman was a single father at the time and brought his kids to the interview. Mike hired him on the spot.
“Everything I know, I know because of him,” Norman says. “He was a great mentor and a great person to talk to.”
In his time working for Mike, Norman remembers that Mike never spoke badly about anybody, he never even celebrated when a competitor went out of business, and that carried through to his mentorship. He taught his team to never point out each other’s mistakes because “we all make mistakes, and tomorrow it could be your turn.”
Something else Mike would never do is say “No” to giving his team paid time off, especially when it came to spending time with and supporting their families. All he asked was that everyone was honest with him, and he worked hard to create an atmosphere where they could be.
Mike loved to be on the road. Whether it was with his family or to-and-from a fire truck delivery, it was his time to clear his mind, think about new projects, and come up with ways to improve his business.
Once when Adam had to travel from Newfoundland to New Brunswick for work, his dad asked to join him. Mike later explained that the trip would bring them close to Centreville, home of Metalfab’s manufacturing facility. Mike’s words were, “You’ve got to see this place. It’s a tiny little hole in the wall, but you should see the stuff that they do. It’s amazing.”
Mike’s passion for what he and Metalfab did was palpable, and we were so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him for all those years. Our hearts go out to Mike’s family and friends, and we hope that wherever he is, he’s surrounded by family and fire trucks.
