CDR John Lester Fisher, Jr., was a man who loved God, loved family, and loved life. He approached everything with a warm smile and an extraordinary sense of humor. John was born on Oct. 10, 1946, and died—suddenly—on June 29, 2018.
John put his all into everything he did; as a result, he has a long list of accomplishments that might surprise many because he was incredibly humble. After graduating high school in Beckley, West Virginia, John was accepted to West Virginia University in 1964 and attended one year before enlisting in the Navy. Following his first year, he was granted the Naval Enlisted Science Education Program scholarship and was accepted into Vanderbilt University, from which he graduated cum laude in 1972 with a double major in both mechanical and electrical engineering. Immediately following, he attended Officers’ Training School in Rhode Island and was commissioned as an Ensign. He was then commissioned on the USS Richard E. Byrd, spending the next three years on Mediterranean Sea duty. John was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal after that tour for “superior performance of duties as First Lieutenant and Gunnery Systems Officer.” His leadership was instrumental in his system’s winning the Gunnery System “E” for two consecutive years. Afterwards, he was assigned to teach the ROTC unit at Vanderbilt, during which time he earned his master’s in engineering management and coached the university’s intramural basketball team.
After 13 years of service, John left active duty as a Lieutenant and continued his service for 15 years in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a Commander. During that time, he moved his family to Huntsville and began a career as Director of Facilities for Teledyne Brown Engineering, retiring in 2011 with 30 years’ service. John loved to serve others, as demonstrated through community service and active membership in the Kiwanis Club.
With all that success, the thing he was most passionate about was his family. He loved every holiday and the togetherness that comes with them. He had ties, hats, themed shirts, and costumes to go with most every one. John loved bringing laughter and joy to us all. His legacy continues through his wife Kathy; his children John (Keri), Jamie (Scott), and Jessica; his grandchildren Edie, Fowler, Jackson, Maggie, Andrew, and Abigail; his brothers Cliff and Paul, and his niece and nephews and their children.
There is a tremendous void in our lives with the loss of our beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend. We do rejoice, believing that he is with his maker and free of the illness (hereditary spastic paraplegia) that bound him for the last years of his life. Please join us for a memorial service on Saturday, July 28, 2018, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Huntsville, AL. Visitation will begin at 10:30 AM followed by a mass at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the HSP Research Foundation: http://hspersunite.org.au/give/giving/
