Obituary

Thomas J. Fisher, age 85, or Goodyear, AZ died October 18, 2018.  Tom was born May 27, 1933, in Schenectady, NY to Joseph Fisher and Hendrika Oomsen.  When he was 10 years old, Tom and his mother moved from New York to Santa Barbara, CA.  They lived in a beach hotel where his mother worked.  He loved the beauty and freedom that came with living on the beach.

After graduation, Tom joined the US Army.  He was stationed in Panama, Columbia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, and served two tours of duty in Vietnam.  He retired after 21 years in the Army having achieved the rank of Major.  After so much travel, Tom and his first wife were anxious to return home to Santa Barbara.  He worked for a period of time with the Sheriff’s department and then began selling real estate.  Grief touched his life when his wife of 30 years died of cancer.

Tom met his wife, Angela from the neighborhood.  They lived four houses from each other and he offered to assist her with handyman chores.  They began to date and soon he found that his family had expanded to include a wife and her children and grandchildren.  Tom was unconditionally loyal and accepting of everyone.  He was so dedicated to his friends that they became like family to him.  Above all, he was devoted to Angela.  He loved and took care of her in good times and difficult times, even gently caring for her while she recovered from surgery.   They felt lucky to have each other.

Tom was one of a kind.  He set high standards for himself and was unwavering in his beliefs.  His strong personality lifted everyone around him to achieve more than they could have imagined.   He enjoyed scuba diving, golf, coin collecting, history, reading and was an excellent bridge player.  He was very active in the PebbleCreek community and was well known at the fitness center.   Tom was adventurous and loved to travel.  He and Angela traveled all over the world.  Their favorite excursions were in Hawaii, Italy, Kenya, and Ireland.  They created a beautiful life together and are grateful that they didn’t wait to enjoy their life.  As Tom would say, “Not too bad for an old guy.”

Tom is survived by his wife, Angela Fisher; daughter, Donna Pimm; sons, Daniel Pimm (Annette) and David Pimm (Debra); sister, Ann Fisher; brother, John Fisher; three grandchildren, Gina Hale (Michael), Nicole Kelley (Dan), Dustin Pimm (Lindsay); eight great-grandchildren; cousin, John Ward; and loving nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his mother Hendrika Oomsen and his father Joseph Fisher.  The family suggests that donations be made to either Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT or St. Jude’s in Memphis, TN.