John Fisher died peacefully on August 22, 2022, at the age of 81 after a short hospitalization. He was a good man, a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, uncle, brother-in-law and father-in-law. John was known for his intellectual curiosity, his wit, and his ability to remember those little nuggets of knowledge that so fascinated him.
He was born and raised in the small town of Scotland Neck, NC, the son of Allen McLamb Fisher and Caroline Sutton Fisher. He played sports in high school and always said that he played for Coach Dean Smith – at least for one or two days before he was cut in the first round or two of basketball try-outs.
After graduating from UNC-CH in 1962, he and a friend traveled to Bozeman, Montana, where he worked on a ranch for the summer. Years later when he was telling of his experiences, his friend, Dr. Mike Queen, dubbed him “Big Sky”, a nickname he would carry for the rest of his life. Following his adventures in Montana, he joined the Navy as an Ensign after completing Officer Candidate School in Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. For the majority of his naval career, he was stationed on the USS William M. Wood in Norfolk, Virginia. In 1964 he married Hazel Price, originally from Marion, NC. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he and Hazel moved to Keysville, Virginia, where he was employed by Burlington Industries at their Drakes Branch plant. While in Virginia, their son, John Eric, was born, and following a move to Greensboro, they welcomed their daughter, Kelli Morgan. He and Hazel raised both their children with great love and an adventurous spirit.
Greensboro was to be the family’s permanent home, where John operated a franchise with ServiceMaster before starting his own small business, John Fisher & Associates, which he ran for many years before retirement.
He was an active and involved member of First Baptist Church for over 50 years, serving in a variety of capacities including as a Deacon, a member of many committees, a leader of children’s missions groups, and Sunday School class facilitator. From the beginning of his residence in Greensboro, he volunteered with many causes, including the Cerebral Palsy School, the Cancer Society, First Offenders Program, and Greensboro Urban Ministry. In 1987 he, along with friends Bob Kelley, Norman Graham, and George Arnold, traveled to Peru as a Habitat for Humanity work crew. When that group returned to Greensboro, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro was formed. He was then involved with Habitat as a Board member and as a construction crew member. He was a member of Crescent Rotary Club for many years and a Paul Harris Fellow.
In 1990, John was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and continued to live a full and fruitful life in spite of the limitations it and other medical conditions placed on his abilities. He was a remarkable man who refused to let MS limit his joyful and rich life. He, along with friend Jim Butner, formed a men’s MS support group which continues to this day.
He had a ton of friends and especially enjoyed his brunch/lunch buddies, Bob, Fred, Jim, Benny, Norman, Joe and John, meeting with them almost every Friday for years to share food and discussion on every topic from A to Z.
He is survived by his loving family: Hazel, his wife of almost 58 years; son, John Eric; daughter, Kelli, and her husband, Charles Rempel, and their twin sons, Tom and John; his brother-in-law and sister-in law, Glenn and Ruth Price; his sister-in-law, Linda Price; his niece, Angela Price Powers and her husband, PJ; his niece, Sarah Price Barton and her husband, Dave, and their two daughters, Lydia and Rachel; his nephew, Doug Price and his wife, Regina, and their two daughters, Katie and Rebecca; his nephew, David Price and his wife, Gail, and their two daughters, Sylvia and Zoe.
A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church at 1000 West Friendly Avenue in Greensboro on Saturday, August 27, at 11 a.m. The family will greet friends following the service.
Donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Greensboro, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro, or Greensboro Urban Ministry.
The family would like to thank the many wonderful health care professionals who took care of John through the years, among them Dr. Mark Perini, Dr. Douglas Jeffrey, Dr. Bayard Powell, Dr. Samuel Woods, and Dr. Ronald Davis, along with their associates and assistants. They treated him with the utmost respect and affection. He was also cared for by many incredible home health professionals who considered him their friend as well as their patient. We are beyond grateful.
