Fisher, Roger L.

Roger L. Fisher, of Coralville, Iowa, died Sunday, Aug. 26, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics after living more than 1 1/2 years at Legacy Gardens in Iowa City with increasing complications of Alzheimer's. Memorial services are pending for some time in October.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Roger's memory to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the Iowa City New Horizons Band or Coralville's Antique Car Museum.

Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web at www.gayandciha.com. Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Roger's family and his arrangements.

Roger LeRoy Fisher was born Jan. 10, 1940, to Carl E. and Martha Floen Fisher. His brother, James A. Fisher, was born three years later. Roger also felt blessed to have three older half siblings from his father's previous marriage, Harriet Fisher Holum (Morris), Marion Fisher Cich (Theodore) and Carl B Fisher (June); and three Holum and six Cich nephews and nieces; along with Jim's daughter and son.

Roger was raised six years in Minneapolis; four years in Provo, Utah; and seven years in Mounds View, Minn., graduating from Mounds View High School in 1957. He next earned a B.A. in English from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, followed by a B.Div./M.Div. from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. His seminary intern (third) year was in Spokane, Wash., where he met and married Linda D. Stearns on May 29, 1966. His next year was spent finishing his training at Luther Seminary, followed by a call and three years of service to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Liberty, Iowa. He worked in Iowa City in secular jobs for some months, and then was called to serve Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City where he served as three-quarter time assistant pastor for three years.

During this time, he also worked as a bus driver for Coralville Transit System. When the manager's position in CTS came open in 1977, Roger was hired for the job that he would hold for the next 25 years. During that time he also served Ely, Lockridge and other Lutheran churches on an interim part-time basis.

Roger was highly creative, designing and building much of the Fisher household furniture and their garage (“the Barn”), plus designing and building a car body styled after a 1930 Mercedes SSK onto a 1933 Hupmobile chassis that he saw being used as a hayrack near West Liberty. Parts came from a 1953 Lincoln (engine and other parts) plus some from a 1948 Hudson and seats from a small foreign car. Roger's “Body by Fisher” car and other car-related items are in Coralville's Antique Car Museum. The many Saabs that he also owned rusted out waiting for his attention in a life that was always very full.

Roger played the trumpet in school, college and enjoyed playing with many friends with the Iowa City Community Band and Iowa City New Horizons Band. Another passion that started in his youth and remained with him throughout his years was running. He set a number of school records in track while in high school and throughout his adult life running was something he still enjoyed with zest.

Roger and Linda had no children, allowing them the extra hours they could devote to traveling to visit family and inspect new busses for CTS plus all the other vocational interests they crammed into their lives before Alzheimer's robbed Roger of quality retirement years. Through all of his life, Roger was a sweet, loving, accepting person who never met a person he wouldn't want as a friend.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service is caring for Roger's family and his arrangements.

Published in The Gazette Aug, 29, 2012.