George Thomas Fitzwater

George Thomas "Tom" Fitzwater passed away peacefully in Oroville, CA on December 21, 2025 at the age of 82. Born May 2, 1943 to George and Juanita Fitzwater of Greenfield, CA, he grew up in the Salinas Valley. He was interested and active in creating art early in his life, but his first formal developments began at King City High School, where he graduated in 1962. When in high school, for a FFA project, he also began keeping honeybees. He remained a beekeeper, continually ever since and designed his own bee hives to find ways to improve the Langstroth bee hive. He began a group of organic beekeepers in Northern California and continued his passion for small organic apiculturists to thrive in California.

After high school, he was employed at Basic Vegetables, in King City until he enrolled at Moller's Barber College, in San Jose, CA. He received his State barber's license in 1963. The trade enabled him to become a student at Hartnell College, in Salinas, where he received an AA degree, majoring in fine arts in 1968. In 1970, he gained his BA degree in Art, at California State University, Long Beach, and in 1972 received a MA degree there, with a major in Sculpture.

After college, Tom resided in Greenfield and Santa Cruz County. While continuing to create sculptures and paintings, he worked daily as a barber and opened Tom's Barber Gallery in Scotts Valley until he relocated to the Sierra foothills in 2010.

Art works by Thom Fitzwater have been exhibited at Hartnell Art Gallery, CSULB Art Gallery, Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, Pacific Grove Art Center, Orange Coast Collage Art Gallery, Friends of the Photography Gallery, in Carmel; Museum of Science and Industry, Los Angeles; Santa Cruz Public Library, and John Steinbeck Library, Salinas. At the John Steinbeck Library, he created for permanent outdoor display a life size bronze statue of writer John Steinbeck. He made a presentation proposal to California Historical Society, on John Muir's 150th birthday, exhibiting plaster models, which he created of the John Muir Memorial, at the Haggin Museum, in Stockton, CA. He continued to exhibit his art at the Artist of River Town Gallery and Oroville Public Library. As an individual passionate about the environment, it was his life goal to have a John Muir Memorial erected in Washington, D.C. and in California.

He is survived by his brother, Lawrence (Larry) Fitzwater (Kay); nephews, Keith Moore (Wendy) and family; Jimmer Moore (Melody) and family; sister, Sylvia "Cis" Gregory; nieces, Lisa Gregory (Michelle) (great nieces: Julia Nicolls, Lily Nicolls) and Jill Logar (great nieces: Michele Logar, Hannah Logar). He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Juanita Fitzwater and brother, John Fitzwater.

He will always be in our hearts and the legacy of his artistic expressions will live on as a testimony to his life.

A family graveside service will be held at Oak Park Cemetery, on March 20, 2026, the Spring equinox, at 11 am.

For more information and artwork prints by Thom Fitzwater, email: portraitsweststudio@gmail.com.

Published in King City Rustler and Salinas Valley Tribune · March 5, 2026