Patricia Fischer

PATRICIA HELEN TOBIN FISCHER

Cedar Rapids

Patricia Helen Tobin Fischer, 92, a resident of The Meth-Wick Community, Cedar Rapids, died Oct. 13, 2016, of kidney complications in the waning days of October's bright blue weather.

She was preceded in death by the love

of her life, Karl W. Fischer; and her parents, Judge John W. Tobin and wife Helen of Vinton.

Surviving are her daughter, Betsy Hadley and husband Rick of Vinton; son, John K. Fischer and wife Michelle of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Ross Hadley and wife Nori of Decorah, Jenna DeBruin and husband Dr. Dave DeBruin of Chicago and Ian Fischer of Oakland; and great-grandsons, Simon and Thomas Hadley of Decorah.

Pat, as she was best known to her friends, was born in Vinton, Iowa, on March 29, 1924, to John and Helen Bordewick Tobin. She attended Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo., for her freshman year, then transferred to the University of Iowa, where she graduated in 1946, majoring in speech and radio. She had her own radio show on WSUI and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.

In 1945, she became engaged to Ensign Karl Fischer during June the week following his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy. They were married in the spring of 1946 when the crab apples were in early bloom. They were married 64 years until Karl's death in 2009.

Having a great love of music, Pat was a longtime member of her church choir and was active in the Sweet Adelines barbershop group, where she held the distinction of being the official "dog barker." She recorded texts for sightless students at the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Vinton for over 35 years. At Meth-Wick, she wrote biographies of new residents at Deer Ridge. She was an accomplished writer and wrote a compilation of stories, called "Caribbean Innocents," about her life on the Island of Bequia in the 1960s and 1970s before cars or electricity.

She had a varied, interesting and well-traveled life, primarily traveling to Big Trout Lake in Northern Minnesota for summers and then later restoring a log cabin on Trout with Karl and close friends, Sue and John Merkel; then with her husband Karl to Bequia in the Windward Islands, establishing a small hotel on a dilapidated coconut plantation, Always Spring, with her father, and friends, Keith and Janet Elwick; then on to Naples, Fla., to the sanctuary at Pelican Bay for warm weather and conviviality; and lastly, to Meth-Wick.

She enjoyed being a Navy wife and her friendships with Karl's Annapolis classmates and spouses; bridge, gin rummy and songs at Trout; fun in the sun in Naples; and dancing the night away in Bequia at the Spring Hotel and Frangipani.

She had a long, lovely and fun life and will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or Puppy Jake Foundation Service Dog Program.

A Celebration of Pat's Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at Blessed Hope Church in Vinton with the Rev. Matt Hantz officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church. Inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton.

Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Patricia and her family. Condolences may be left at www.vsrfh.com.