Sheepdog Connection
To honor Ryan FitzGerald's legacy, we have partnered with NGCF to create a non-profit charitable organization called Sheepdog Connection.
Sheepdog Connection has been created to honor the life of Timothy Ryan FitzGerald who at the age of 21 left this world to be with our Heavenly Father but not before he made a significant and lasting impact on scores of people, including family, friends, team mates and fraternity brothers. His family calls him Ryan, his friends call him Fitz and we all loved him deeply. Ryan was a 6’ 5” 220lb kind hearted, fun loving, big as life, intensely loyal friend who “always had our back”. He encouraged, protected, supported, and prompted his friends to be and do what he believed they were capable of achieving and when they needed him, he was there. As part of Ryan’s Ceremony of Life we provided cards for the people attending to send a note to Ryan. Here is a sample of the notes we received.
“…the impact you’ve had on my life is more than you may ever know…I think I am where I am today because of you…you gave me the confidence I needed to do something and I’m following my dream of being a musician”
“…you pushed me to be stronger, to learn what I needed to do to be greater than myself … “
“…your compassion for others has always been an inspiration to me, you were a true servant of God…”
“…you helped me through an incredibly rough time in my life and helped me to see the light, you brought me back from the brink of darkness…”
“…you always stood up for those couldn’t stand up for themselves…”
His family gave the moniker of “Sheepdog” to Ryan after watching a scene in the movie America Sniper. As a family we have adopted the Old English Sheepdog as the representative sheepdog breed for Ryan given the characteristics that were described by the Old English Sheepdog Club of America. The Old English Sheepdog is by no means a rare breed, however the OES is still rather uncommon. He is big and hairy, robust yet easygoing, fun-loving to the point of being clownish and is credited with being one of the few breeds of dog with a sense of humor. The breed’s intelligence is great and although even-tempered, when provoked, he can gallantly dispatch any situation that may arise. He exhibits deep devotion to his friends and will bark at any unusual occurrence as a warning; however, the OES is not a true guard dog ... and definitely not adaptable to attack training. He is credited with having a mind of their own.
09/06/2026
An amazing Sheepdog Connection 50 for 20 with Kurt Kalbach. Kurt shared wisdom and lessons learned with 30+ years in the aviation industry. The Georgia Sigma Pi pledges and some brothers participated in a volunteer opportunity with Trees Atlanta the next day.
01/01/2026
Happy New Year from Sheepdog Connection!
12/24/2025
Every Christmas looks different, but there is beauty to be found in each one. So take the picture even if it’s a struggle. We pray that no matter what your Christmas looks like this year, you will feel the Peace and Hope that a Baby brought to the world. Merry Christmas!
11/27/2025
Happy Thanksgiving from Sheepdog Connection!
09/24/2025
The last time we saw you before losing you, we were celebrating your cousin's wedding in Crested Butte, Colorado. We captured this photo of you, looking over your shoulder and seeming to say, “See you later.”
38 ° 53 ' 19" N 106° 56' 41" W
As we stood on that same spot in September 2023 and scattered your ashes, we felt you there, smiling over your shoulder at us.
While we are not standing in that spot today, 10 years exactly from when you ran ahead of us to heaven, we still see you looking over your shoulder at us, saying, "See you later."
08/25/2025
Sheepdog Connection is excited to announce our next 50 for 20 event on Friday, August 29, 2025, featuring Gary Brooks.
Gary has had an amazing career working with growth-stage companies building category-defining brands, architecting scalable demand generation engines, and accelerating revenue growth. He is a semi-retired CMO, SaaS Growth Accelerator, brand strategist, investor, advisor, coach, and lifelong learner. We are excited to hear the amazing life lessons he will share.
08/16/2025
Happy birthday to our favorite Sheepdog. For his high school graduation and birthday, the family visited Hawaii. True to his funny and silly nature, he said, "Hey, take a picture of just me!" And this is the result. He only wanted to be the center of attention on his own terms. This was one of those times. Missed and loved more than he will ever know.
08/11/2025
We were honored to sponsor these two Sheepdogs to attend Christ in the Smokies: Mac Shefchunas and Silas Mawdesley. Thank you both for carrying on the mission of Sheepdog Connection so selflessly!
07/28/2025
Seeing our children grow up is bittersweet, but there is something special when father and son also relate as adult to adult. When it’s cut short, there’s a hole left where that relationship should be.
Happy birthday to this amazing dad who worked hard on that relationship! Things will never be the same, but Tim honors the relationship he had with Ryan by pouring love and wisdom into generations of young men.
07/14/2025
Ryan was a ham. He hated to be the center of attention unless he chose it. And when he did, he was so funny! I am so blessed to be his mom.
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