"HONEY FITZ" BORN IN BOSTON
Boston, Massachusetts (JFK+50) On February 11, 1863, John Francis Fitzgerald, the maternal grandfather of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was born here in Boston. The parents were Thomas and Rose Fitzgerald who came to America from Ireland.John F. Fitzgerald was educated at the Boston Latin School and Boston College. He served twice as mayor of Boston and was elected to the United States Congress. "Honey Fitz", as he came to be known, was a natural politician who loved people and often sang "Sweet Adeline".
At age 85, Honey Fitz advised his grandson, John F. Kennedy, who was running for Congress in 1946. Mr. Fitzgerald predicted JFK would one day be President of the United States.
John F. Fitzgerald died at the age of 87 on October 2, 1950. He left an estate of $76,000 according to his will filed in Suffolk probate court on December 8, 1950. The mayor's daughter (JFK's mother Rose) was designated as the executrix. Rose was left "no part of the estate" for reasons "best known" to her father.
While Mr. Fitzgerald had lived long enough to see his grandson Jack elected to Congress, he had passed by the time JFK was elected to the United States Senate and the Presidency.
When John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States, he chose to be sworn in on the Fitzgerald Family Bible and would rename the presidential yacht, the "Honey Fitz."
SOURCE
"The Kennedys: A Chronological History" by Harvey Rachlin, World Almanac, 1986.
