Family, friends, local elected officials and law enforcement officers gathered outside the Bustleton Post Office in Northeast Philadelphia Sunday afternoon to officially rename it to honor Temple University Police Sgt. Christopher Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald was killed in the line of duty on Feb. 18, 2023, while chasing down a suspect wanted for a series of carjackings.
For his widow, Marissa Fitzgerald, and their four children, this is a way to remember the fallen officer’s sacrifice.
“It’s incredible to know a post office is going to be named after my husband,” Marissa Fitzgerald said. “His legacy is the world to us, and we are always going to make sure that we carry it on.”
Pauline Fitzgerald, Christopher Fitzgerald’s mother, said this place has special meaning to her.
“This was the post office in our neighborhood, and it is one I frequented regularly with him, especially when he was young and running errands with me, and so it’s a big deal,” she said.
Rep. Brendan Boyle helped lead the effort in the district where the sergeant lived. For those here who loved and lost a hero, this lasting tribute will help keep the memories of a life gone too soon close at heart.
“I just want them to see that smile,” Marissa Fitzgerald said. “He’s a beaming, shining light. … His spirit, that’s what I want them to see and feel when they come in here.”