Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

May 9, 2017

Donald L. Fisher, a resident of The Cypress in Charlotte, passed away on his 90th birthday, into the arms of the loving God he so believed in. He lived a long, beautiful, and loving life, and will be missed dearly by family, friends and all he touched.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Mary T. Fisher, of The Cypress; son Tom Fisher (and wife Ashley) of Charlotte; daughter Jan Jenkins (and husband Pat) of Davidson; five grandchildren, Colton Fisher, Grant Fisher, Eric Jenkins, Zak Jenkins and Kayla Jenkins; two great grandchildren, Rylan and Adalyn Jenkins; sister Doris Manning of Louisville, Kentucky; and beloved nieces, nephews and other extended family.

Don was born in Ohio and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia. In Columbus, Ohio he met the love of his life, Mary, and they were married on August 16, 1952. They lived most of their years together in Columbus where they raised their family, and after retirement they also lived part-time in Siesta Key, Florida. In 2014 they moved to The Cypress where they have lived an active life and made many wonderful friends in the last three years.

First and foremost, Don was a devoted husband. He and Mary were inseparable, a glowing example of tender love and deep commitment to each other. They spread that love and commitment to their family and friends. Together they have been loving and generous parents and grandparents. Together they made friends everywhere with their genuine and caring interest in people. As an acquaintance recently observed, they are the type of people who ask you to tell them your story and they are genuinely interested in hearing it and getting to know you. And the constant theme was “together.”

Don served in the US Navy and was a graduate of Wooster College in Ohio. He received his Masters degree in Education from Ohio State University and an MBA from Capital University. For many years he worked as a computer systems analyst, back in the mainframe days. He then combined that experience with his love for youth in his many years of teaching computer science at Fort Hayes High School in Columbus. After retirement from teaching, he enjoyed several years as a realtor where he loved helping people buy and sell homes.

Don fully lived every day of his 90 years. He had a strong work ethic, a lovable sense of humor, and many interests. Perhaps the greatest was his pure love of people. He loved meeting new people. He had a gift for engaging a stranger in warm conversation. And he especially loved young children—when he was around them it always seemed to be mutual joy.

He was a loving and devoted father and grandfather. The family is filled with many memories of fun and special times together with him. He and Mary went out of their way to create treasured family times together. Don always made himself available to his children and grandchildren as a wise guiding hand in their lives.

Don had a lifelong love of learning and education. He also lived a life of Christian faith and was actively involved in church life. In his retirement years in Florida he played lots of tennis (his Siesta Key tennis friends dubbed him “The Hammer”). He and Mary played countless hours of bridge through the years. He loved bird watching and gardening. It is fitting that he died with the earth under his finger nails, as he was gardening at the time of his last lucid moments.

A service celebrating Don’s life will be held Saturday May 13 at 3:00 p.m. at The Cypress of Charlotte.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Rd., Charlotte, NC 28211 or to the Harris Hospice Unit, P.O. Box 33549, Charlotte, NC 28233.