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John Fisher Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for John Fisher
Dennis Sorensen
October 9, 2009
When I first met John while playing bridge, I was barely wet behind the ears. I was playing with BJ, a lady from San Antonio.
John's stature in the game of bridge was already well documented.
Following a brief teaching career, I left for Illinois in 1971 to attend graduate school.
Since bridge had infected me, I took every opportunity to play. During the Labor Day break I headed to St. Louis to play in their regional.
My partner was Kimmel Jones, now of Dallas. We bought our entry early for the Open Pairs and much to our dismay, we were in Section A headed by the top seeded pair of Barry Crane and Dr. John Fisher.
I lamented to Kimmel that we would have to play well and then we would likely be playing for second.
Luck was on our side as we edged the Barry and John but our score of roughly 360 garnered very little except the story of beating the best pair in bridge.
John went on to win the famous McKenney Trophy in 1972, an accomplishment I was able to do 20 years later.
What impressed me most about John was his decorum at the table, an attribute which I tried to emulate at the bridge table.
I will forever cherish the fond moments of having played against the giants of the game like Barry and John and also the opportunity of playing with Barry.
John was a true gentleman of our game and his demeanor and the challenges he presented at the table at the table will be sorely missed.
May he rest in peace.
Pat Baker, Jr.
August 22, 2009
My deepest sympathy goes to the family and many friends of Dr. John Fisher who was always a very kind, caring and philathropic person. He generally sat at my table at the SMU's Dallas Hall Society functions and was always cheerful and happy. It's sad to say goodbye, but we can cherish our memories of Dr. Fisher for a lifetime.
Barbara Tyson
August 21, 2009
John was the epitome of a gentleman. It was always my pleasure to get to play vs him. He was "always" complimentary to his partner and opponents.
Donna Engelhart
August 19, 2009
Doc"y": I long ago adopted Fran's pet name for you and know that you understand my use of it now is with the great love and tenderness. Though you assured me you were ready, those whom you have left behind mourn their great loss. I can still hear you "hooting" in the many post mortems we shared; it never failed to make me smile. And, as Jean has recalled, if the phone rang at 7am I didn't need to wonder who it was. "Are you receiving?", you would say! By now you have found Barry and Fran and the many others whom you watched leave your table. Godspeed to all of you!
Alex Ramsey
August 18, 2009
Oh my, as Dr. Fisher might easily have said.... I just learned this evening that Dr. Fisher simply could not wait another day to chat with my mother Fran Beard, who passed away two months ago. They talked almost every day for decades and decades, regaling one another with witty remarks, peals of laughter, and the deep friendship of two richly intelligent minds. I know I speak on behalf of all my family, my brother Scott Beard, my son Christian Kelso, and my dad Sam Beard, as to how much we will miss this unique voice on God's earth, just as we continue to miss Mother.... There was no one quite like Mother and no one like John...On the other hand, I am confident Mother, along with his other friends and family, were there to welcome him and that they will have plenty to catch up on since the few months since they last spoke.... Just as John was a great friend to us, he was also a great friend to so many people, family and friends. I offer my prayers and heart to all who loved Dr. John Fisher.
Jean Ann and Bob Titus
August 18, 2009
Bob and John became friends in 1943 while attending SMU as members of the ATO fraternity. John was in our wedding and for 52 years he filled the role of our best friend. He has been a loyal friend for that many Christmas', Thanksgivings, 4th of July's and all the days in between. During these years our friends became his and his friends became ours. He taught us how to play bridge and best of all how to enjoy it. We shared a love of Opera with many memories of performances all over the globe-from San Francisco to Bayreuth, Germany. What we will miss most of all is the early morning 7am phone calls-recounting the problems and pleasures of the days.
August 18, 2009
While Dallas mourns the loss of this accomplished gentleman, we should rejoice that we had the pleasure of "knowing" this truly special person.
In the late 1970's , I had the uneasy pleasure of playing against him and Barry Crane as they took most available matchpoints from me and my partner, luckily it was only two boards.
~Stephen Olson, Dallas Texas
Charles Gabriel
August 18, 2009
John was my best friend and frequent bridge partner. I shared and apartment with him for a year and was his next door neighbor for twelve years. We chatted frequently on the phone for long periods of time -- over an hour generally. I shall truly miss one of the best persons I've known.
Shirley Ashby
August 18, 2009
It was such an honor to have been able to be John's sometimes bridge partner and benefit from his very patient teaching. But the real value was to know John, the man. I will so miss all this erudite man contributed to my life. He seemed to just love and know about everything and imparted this enthusiasm to all he met.
Del Parker
August 18, 2009
In about 1977, John was at his kitchen table with me and the late Dr. Kent Jones, the bridge playing English professor, that frequently played with the late Mrs. Fran Beard, with whom John placed in the recent Dallas National Mixed Pair. John offered $1000, to whomever could tell from whence comes the line, "I am part of all that I have met." It was no accident John was with one that had been recited Tennyson's Ulysses by his father at age 4, and an English prof that drilled it. The poem was exemplary of his life. John laid down markers for excellence in many arenas. Winning 3 consecutive National Open Pairs in a row was one of them. His friendships were legendary, found along his path, nurtured with cards and letters and phone calls, and treasured in memory of dinners and contests and trips and gatherings in life. I read Ulysses and I see John:
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vexed the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honoured of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers;
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breathe were life. Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this grey spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle —
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and through soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me —
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads — you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Blake Tartt
August 17, 2009
John was an ATO Fraternity brother ay SMU and a great friend. I first met him in 1946 and we remained friends for the rest of his life. He was in Barbara's and my wedding . He was our daughter Courtnay's physician - and dear friend - while she was at SMU and he attended her wedding in Houston. Barbara and I and our entire family will miss him .
Jim Hooker
August 17, 2009
I met John while I was in college at SMU. As many of us were fraternity house bridge addicts, and as good fortune would have it, we were led by classmate Joe Grissaffii to watch John & Henry Baer play in the bridge tournament at the Adolphus Hotel. That was the beginning of a wounderful friendship lasting fifty years. To know John was to enjoy his friends, his laughter, his intellegence...through him I met the Kennedys of Shereveport, Boots & Jack Kendrick, Charlie (Garp) Gabriel, Bobby Wolff, the Jim Jacobys, the Beards, the Weeds & the late, great solicitor, Freddie Berger. Though him I became familar with all sorts of puzzles, words, people, ideas & expressions......obligatto, Deschapel coup, principle of restricted choice, floating pianissimos, Wordsworth, French food...I especially loved his expression, "I've played more cards than Gretchen Goldstein."
There were ups and downs in our lives and the friendship endured. My life has been enriched and given much meaning by knowing & loving this loyal & wonderful friend...John Fisher.
Carolyn Schendle
August 17, 2009
I have known John all my life, and that makes me very lucky.
He was a kind, generous and brilliant man. John was always gracious about answering bridge questions - He was a great
teacher.
I remember his being a doctor to Maria Callas and other divas - In those days he never missed an opera.
John was a gentleman who had great wit and charm. Those of us who knew him will always remember him
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