Pauline Mildred Fisher

Pauline Fisher passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on Wednesday, October 29th, 2014 with her daughter and son-in-law, Patti and Ron Gatzke, by her side. She is preceded in death by her husband, Laurence B. Fisher, two sisters and five brothers. The daughter of William Mattison and Martha Mardis Richey, she grew up on a farm in Roscoe, TX as the second youngest of 9 children and is known for her great love and devotion to her family. After graduating from Highland High School, Pauline moved to Denver, Colorado, where she met her husband, Laurence B. Fisher. They were married April 26, 1942 and had one daughter, Patti. Pauline lived a full 65 years in Denver before moving to Omaha in 2004 to be closer to Patti .

The lives she impacted, people she served, and adventures she had are many. Children always touched Pauline’s heart in a special way and brought her much joy throughout her life. Always with a servant’s heart, she worked with children in preschool and Sunday school settings as well as teenagers, whom she always defended when any adult dared complain about that difficult age group. With ease she could always capture a child’s attention with lullabies, songs, stories, and games. Even at 88 she volunteered her time rocking and singing to babies at a childcare center serving poor families in Omaha. Pauline also took great pride and joy in her work with foreign students attending the University of Denver; they showered her with gifts of gratitude and many stayed in touch with her and returned to visit her long after they graduated. She lived a very active life that included travel with her husband, visiting countries around the world and enjoying the art, food and cultures of those they visited.

Perhaps Pauline’s greatest legacy is her devotion and love of family, both immediate and extended. She would do anything for her siblings and any of their children, regardless of expense or time of day. Her quest for family closeness challenged the younger generations of the family to stay connected when they might otherwise drift apart. She phoned brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces on a regular basis, and travelled late into her life to see them. Her devotion to her daughter, grand children and great-grandchildren was extraordinary and resulted in very loving relationships between them. Despite the long distances that often separated them, Pauline found ways to spend as much time as she could with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who all loved her very much.

Pauline was blessed with the gift of hospitality and she loved to entertain family, and friends in her home. She was a great cook and her meals were central to all of her gatherings. There is even a family story that a group of Patti’s high school friends failed, despite their very best efforts, to eat everything she put in front of them—there was always more to eat. Foreign students loved to gather in her home to experience her heartfelt hospitality and good cooking.

She is survived by daughter, Patricia Fisher Gatzke; son-in-law Ronald Gatzke; granddaughters Allison Gatzke Lee (Gudmund) and Andrea Gatzke; and great-grandchildren Henrik and Ivy Lee.; brother Ray Richey and many nieces and nephews. She was a joyful light and loving presence that will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

There will be a Memorial Service for Pauline in Omaha, Nebraska on Monday, November 10, 1:00 p.m. at West Hills Church, 3015 South 82nd Street.

The Celebration of Her Life and internment in Denver will be Thursday, November 13, at Calvary Baptist Church of Denver, 6500 East Girard. Visitation at 10:00 a.m., service at 11:00 a.m. followed by lunch.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the Omaha Street School, 3223 North 45th Street,, Omaha, NE 68104, 402-451-5234.