Obituary of Mark R. Fisher

A Life Well Lived Mark R. Fisher was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in December 1951. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert, and Betty Fisher. He is survived by his sister Valerie Gustovich and her husband Michael; his daughter Holly Fournier and her husband Larry; his granddaughter Hayley Hendershott (his pride and joy); and his lifelong friend and Holly’s mother, Rhonda Trickler. They were married 13 years, and they later spent the last years of his life taking care of each other. He also leaves behind his dogs Benjamin and Bear (his other kids). Mark graduated from Mayfield High School in 1970. He completed a course in electronics technology at United Electronics Institute in Akron, Ohio, thus avoiding being drafted during the Vietnam War. Mark loved to tell about getting a duplicate draft card; how he turned one in as he was supposed to and then went to a demonstration against the war and burnt the other one! He also loved stories about his travels in Europe after he graduated – those stories often came in G-rated and not G-rated versions! Mark could sit in a boat, or a deer stand quietly for hours and hours. He was quite successful at both fishing and hunting, as you can tell by the trophy mounts hanging on the walls of his home. He also loved automobiles, especially his GTO and Camaros. When he moved to Oklahoma Mark gave up his Ohio roots and quickly became an OU Sooners fan; his favorite joke was “What’s the most popular wine in Stillwater? …Why can’t we go to the Orange bowl?” Music was a big part of his life as a Cleveland native. He believed music could break through any barrier: race, gender, age, or faith. He was intelligent and had a great sense of humor. He had a dad joke (or a not-so-clean joke) for any situation. One of his favorites: A horse walks into a bar. The bartender asks, “Why the long face?” He believed in equality for men and women, and he accepted all people, regardless of race, size, gender, or sexual orientation. He was trustworthy, loyal, and a shining example of empathy and stability despite the anxiety he quietly managed his entire life. He worked for PennWell Publishing (now Clarion Events) as credit and collections manager from 1980 until his retirement in 2015. He had many dear friends from PennWell, and some he considered family. Mark was a great boss and a wonderful friend. He put family first and encouraged those who knew him to do the same. Mark took seriously his commitments as father, grandfather, son, brother, husband, friend, manager, pet owner, fishing companion and human being. He was a kind, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and loyal man with a genuine heart who truly cared about the people in his orbit. If Mark Fisher was your friend, family, leader, or colleague, he had your back. Mark made a lasting impression on everyone who met him. Donations can be made to an Animal Rescue or Literacy Group in his name.