Cover photo for Rev. George Thomas Fisher's Obituary
Rev. George Thomas Fisher Profile Photo

Rev. George Thomas Fisher

June 25, 1929 — December 11, 2020

Rev. George Thomas Fisher

The Rev. George Thomas Fisher went home to his Lord Friday,

December 11, 2020. He cherished his wife, Kathryn, (deceased May, 2020) and

his children, extended family, friends, and congregations. A Renaissance Man,

classics scholar, composer, collector, poet and teacher/mentor, Tom lived an

exuberant life full of integrity and infectious joy. There are no words to express

how deeply he is loved and will be missed.

George Thomas Fisher was born in Bayonne, NJ, June 25, 1929. He was the youngest of

three children born to Herbert George Fisher and Mable Lenore (Nye) Fisher.

Early in life it was discovered that Tom had a passion for insects, music, and

inspiring others through the art of teaching. He received his undergraduate

degree in Biology from the University of Iowa at Ames while studying voice with

Oscar Laztinzer at nearby Parsons College. He received his Ph.D. from Rutgers

University, specializing in Entomology. In mid-life, Tom was called into the ministry. He

received his Master’s in Divinity from Andover-Newton Seminary, Andover, MA. He was ordained in the Conservative  Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) and led several congregations throughout New England. If asked, Tom  would say his calling to the ministry was his greatest vocation.

A man of diverse talents, Tom Fisher, at the age of 26, debuted at New York City Hall to rave reviews and joined the  prestigious Metropolitan Opera as one of their solo artists (Basso). At age 31 he held a solo recital at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic (April 16, 1960). He was vocal coach to Kenny Rogers; a co-producer of the Broadway hit  ”The Fantastiks”and an accomplished pianist and a solo flutist. He is known for his musical compositions, i.e. he wrote  the Alma Mater for Johnson State College and he has been known to write a Swiss waltz or two! Tom also soloed with  several choral societies, conducted orchestras and award-winning youth choirs, and founded The Johnson State College  Men’s Glee Club. More recently, he founded the men’s chorale "Men Macon Music" in Franklin, NC (2010 Silver  Olympics Gold Medalists).

Tom was an executive with Libby, McNeill and Libby until he moved into the world of Academia. He was a professor in  the sciences at Johnson State Teacher’s College, Johnson, VT, and finished his distinguished academic career as  chairman of the Entomology Department at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. In addition, he worked for  the New Hampshire State Extension Service as an entomologist, was an expert court witness for many companies,  trained pest control operators for recertification throughout New England, and founded his own company, Fisher  Seminars.

A curator at heart, Tom collected, over a span of 50 years, one of the finest complete Classic Comics and Classics  Illustrated Collections on the market. He is the author of the Classic Comics Illustration Index which is used by  collectors around the world.

George Thomas Fisher is survived by his daughters, Emily Weingarth (Villa Park, CA), Amy Evans (Franklin, NC); son,  Forrest Fisher and his wife, Charlotte Fisher (Beaufort, SC); eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and the  family’s newest member, Skip Jack.

Funeral services will be held at Bryant-Grant Funeral Home, 105 West Main Street, Franklin, NC, on Sunday, December  20, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Given current travel restrictions, a celebration of life service will be held later in 2021 for both  Tom and Kathryn. Our family remains profoundly grateful for your care and memories that have enriched our lives over  the years.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rev. George Thomas Fisher, please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Starts at 2:00 pm

Bryant-Grant Funeral Home

105 W Main St, Franklin, NC 28734

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