Stephen F. Fisher

Steve was born September 19, 1969 at St. Mary's Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri to Fred P. Fisher and Judy (Lippold) Fisher. At the age of 5, the family moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where Steve's childhood was happily filled with Little League Baseball, Indian Guides, Cub Scouts, playing in his backyard treehouse "fort" with neighborhood friends, fishing at the Mahaska Park Lake with Dad, weekly trips to the public library with Mom to get another tall stack of books to read, Saturday family bike rides all over town, Sunday services at First Church of the Nazarene where he sang with the children's choir, listening to his dad play on summer nights with the city band on the town square, while riding around the square with other children on their bikes, and frequent walks to the local Baskin Robbins for ice cream. After being an only child for 10 years, Steve was elated to learn that he was finally going to be blessed with a

sibling. After months of anticipating the arrival, and talking incessantly about how he was going to teach his "little brother" how to throw a football, how to bat and how to slide into home plate, when informed by his grandmother that a

baby girl had just been born, his immediate response was, "I really wanted a little sister all along!"

At the age of 11, Steve was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After surgery and radiation treatment at the University of Iowa Hospital (where he became a devoted Iowa Hawkeye fan), he recovered and, except for having to give up participation in contact sports, resumed his life with his usual zest! After moving to Bettendorf, Iowa, where he attended St. Katherine's/St. Mark's School for 6th and 7th grades, Steve was recommended by his art teacher for a scholarship to take classes with a well known local artist. For 2 years, he enjoyed creating beautiful charcoal sketches and watercolor and oil paintings. After moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he enjoyed the youth group at Oakland

Church of the Nazarene, Steve graduated from John F. Kennedy High School where he spent his teen years working on cars, especially his red Trans AM, with his "gearhead" buddies. Most Saturdays he could be found at home in his parent's garage, with as many as a dozen friends, taking apart any kind of engine they could find to work on.

After high school, a graduation gift of a fishing trip to Canada with his dad and several friends, and moving back to the Kansas City area with the intention of attending Mid-America Nazarene College, Steve began having headaches, nausea and blurred vision, and it was discovered that the brain tumor had grown back. After having surgery again, at K. U. Medical Center, and many months of physical and speech therapy, Steve was determined to go to college. He began by taking one course at a time, while still receiving treatment, then two, until he was able to handle a full schedule, and finally earned his Associate in Arts degree at Longview Community College, with the help of Project Able. By then he had regained the strength to live on his own in Warrensburg for 3 years, and earned a B.S. in Psychology at (then) Central Missouri State University.. After graduation from college, he served 3 years with AmeriCorps/Vista working on literacy programs in Kansas City. Steve began having side effects from scar tissue, resulting in loss of balance and becoming wheelchair

bound. He continued to live independently for several years in his own apartment at Gateway Housing in Independence, MO, where he had many wonderful neighbors and friends.

In 2015, Steve got the devastating news that, after many years, there was another brain tumor.. He received a Gamma-Knife procedure at Research Hospital. In September, 2016, an extremely high fever which led to a long hospital stay, resulted in the necessity of moving into a skilled nursing facility. Steve had resided in Monterey Park for

the past 2 years. The onset of pneumonia in early December led to another long hospital stay and, while he put up a

good fight, his lungs could not recover and the decision was made to return home under hospice care. Steve's family would like to express their gratitude to the doctors and nurses in the I.C .U. at CenterPoint Hospital for their dedicated and compassionate care, as well as the staff of Asana Hospice and Monterey Park.

Steve had a strong faith in God, which was largely responsible for his ability to always maintain a positive attitude and a ready smile. Having made a profession of faith at the age of 9, Steve was baptized by his grandfather, Rev. E. Paul Fisher, at Kensington Ave. Baptist Church in K.C., MO. Since moving back home to the Kansas City area, Steve was

a member and a deacon at Kensington Ave. Baptist Church until its closing. He has been an active member for years at Life Connection Church (formerly Birchwood Baptist Church) in Independence, Mo. "Steve was preceded in death by his grandparents, Ina and Orville Lippold, Sr., and Jane and Rev. E. Paul Fisher,

four uncles, two aunts and two cousins. He is survived by his parents, Judy and Fred Fisher of Independence, MO,

one sister, Holly Fisher of Kansas City, MO, six aunts, three uncles, many cousins and numerous friends, all dearly

loved by him.""

Services for Steve will be Friday, January 4, 2019 at Floral Hills Funeral Home, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64133, with visitation at 1:00PM, Memorial Service at 2:00PM, followed by a reception immediately afterward.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Steve's memory to Life Connection Church, 39th St. & Blue Ridge Blvd., Independence, MO.

As Steve was a life-long fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, and the Iowa Hawkeyes, please feel free to wear your Chiefs, Royals or Hawkeyes athletic gear, as that was Steve's constant choice of attire.