John Fish

John Hall Fish, of Chicago, IL, died in his home on Tuesday evening, June 10, 2014, under the care of his two sons. John was born on June 17, 1932, to Henry and Dorothy Fish, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He married his high-school sweetheart, Sally Ann Wilson, on January 31, 1954, graduated from Princeton University in 1955 and from Union Theological Seminary (M.Div) in 1958. He served as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Cass City, MI, for five years, and then moved to Chicago, where he received his MA (1965) and his PhD (1971) from the University of Chicago. In 1969, John joined the founding faculty of the Urban Studies Program for the Associated Colleges of the Midwest, an experience-based off-campus program in Chicago where he taught until 1997. In addition to his teaching, John was an active member of many non-profit community organizations in Chicago, including the Woodlawn Organization, the Fifth Ward Citizens Committee, the Neighborhood Institute of South Shore Bank, the Hyde-Park-Kenwood Community Health Center Board, the Chicago Metropolitan Sanctuary Project, the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights Advisory Board, the Woodlawn Development Associates Board, and the charter Board of the Woodlawn Community School. He was also very involved in various capacities with University Church in Hyde Park. In 1989, he joined the founding board of "Princeton Project '55" (now the Princeton Alumni Corps) with the goal of encouraging civic engagement among Princeton Alumni. As part of that, John founded the Public Interest Program which placed Princeton students and graduates in non-profit organizations in Chicago for a year long internship with a seminar led by him and local mentors. Under John's direction, the Public Interest Program expanded to other cities, and has placed more than 1500 Princeton alumni in non-profit organizations in cities nation-wide since 1989. He also helped the University of Chicago and Northwestern University to establish similar community service programs for their own graduates. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Sally Wilson Fish (2010). He is survived by his three children: John Everett Hall Fish (Penny) in Sheboygan, WI; Daniel McFarland Fish (Jeanie) in Port Angeles, WA; and Wendy Fish Naylor (Tim) in Chicago. He has three granddaughters (Bethany, Sierra and Dana), one step grandson (Shannon) and two step great granddaughters (Irie and Marley). A Memorial Service is planned for him on Saturday, June 21, at 11:00 a.m. at University Church, 5655 S. University Ave, in Chicago, IL, after which refreshments will be served. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made either to Union Theological Seminary for the John Hall Fish and Sally Fish Scholarship Fund (call Kevin McGee at 212-280-1590) or to the Princeton Alumni Corps (609-921-8808, press seven after the message).