Fitzsimmons, William Kennedy (‘Billy’) (1909–92), politician and businessman, was born 31 January 1909 at 4 Oceanic Avenue, Belfast, son of William Fitzsimmons, gas fitter, of that address, and Mary Elizabeth Fitzsimmons (née Kennedy). Educated at Skegoniell national school and Belfast Technical College, he worked as a domestic engineer, and set up his own hardware business on the Antrim Road. A member (1948–57) of Belfast city and district water commissioners, of which he was chairman (1954–5), he was JP for Belfast (1951), and president of Duncairn Unionist Association. Elected to the parliament of Northern Ireland for Belfast's Duncairn constituency in a December 1956 by-election, he served sixteen years (1956–72), retaining the seat for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) through four general elections. In 1957 he ruffled the feathers of party traditionalists as one of three backbenchers who raised criticisms of restrictive practices in the coal trade, on foot of the recently published Isles and Cuthbert economic survey of Northern Ireland, which analysed the province's archaic and monopolistic industrial structures, and excoriated government complaisance thereto. Parliamentary secretary to the ministry of commerce (1961–5), he served concurrently as assistant parliamentary secretary to the ministry of finance, and deputy government whip (1961–3), and parliamentary secretary to the ministries of home affairs (1963–4), health and local government (1964–5), and development (January–April 1965). He was appointed a privy councillor for NI (1965). As minister of education (1965–6), he proposed to cabinet a north–south initiative offering joint financial assistance with the Dublin government to an authoritative ‘new history of Ireland’ to be produced by a team of scholars, but was overruled by cabinet colleagues wary of involvement in a project beyond their control, and likely to generate disapproval in Northern Ireland. As minister of development (1966–8), he was responsible for the drafting of a white paper on local government reform.
A close and trusted associate of Prime Minister Terence O'Neill (qv), identified with the ethos of moderate reformism that characterised O'Neill's leadership of the UUP, he briefly returned to the education portfolio (December 1968–March 1969) in the cabinet reshuffle following O'Neill's sacking of home affairs minister William Craig for opposing the five-point reform programme announced in response to civil-rights agitations. With O'Neill's policies generating further rifts within unionism, Fitzsimmons comfortably retained his seat in the February 1969 ‘crossroads election’, defeating an independent unionist adversary opposed to the reforms. Appointed minister of health and social services, he retained the portfolio under three successive prime ministers (1969–72). Consulted by O'Neill in the wake of the dramatic resignation from cabinet of James Chichester-Clark (qv) following the latter's refusal to support introduction of ‘one man, one vote’ in local government elections (23 April 1969), Fitzsimmons, while grudgingly conceding that the prime minister's position was becoming untenable, urged O'Neill in vain to continue in office for the sake of party and province.
While not directly involved in decisions regarding constitutional or security issues, he loyally supported government policy through the subsequent premierships of Chichester-Clark and Brian Faulkner (qv), including the introduction of internment in August 1971. He conducted lengthy negotiations regarding the status of the Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road, Belfast, an institution founded and managed by the catholic church, and whose exclusion from state financial assistance had generated longstanding controversy. Negotiations concluded in December 1971 with agreement for the hospital's integration within the national health service under mutually acceptable terms, a significant achievement largely unnoticed amid the intensifying civil strife. After suspension of the Stormont parliament and imposition of direct rule by Westminster (March 1972), Fitzsimmons continued as one of Faulkner's chief advisers among the ex-cabinet. He was in the UUP delegation to the September 1972 Darlington conference on political options for Northern Ireland that failed to secure agreement among the parties represented. He did not contest the June 1973 elections for the NI assembly, and retired from public life.
Fitzsimmons was described by Faulkner as ‘a compassionate man who was deeply committed to the welfare state’ (Faulkner, 83). He married (1935) May Elizabeth Lynd, who survived him; they had two daughters and lived at 16 Cleaver Court, Malone Road, Belfast. Fitzsimmons was a patron of Crusaders football club. A long-time member of the Orange Order, he resigned in December 1968 when one of his daughters married a catholic. He died 21 February 1992 suddenly in hospital in Belfast, and was buried in the historic Carnmoney parish churchyard, north Belfast.