William Fisher

1917 - 2017

William Fisher
December 26, 1917 - March 4, 2017
Carmel
William Edwin Fisher was born on December 26, 1917, to William and Elsie Fisher in Milwaukee, WI, where he spent an idyllic childhood with his younger brother Robert (Bob).
Bill attended Cornell University and joined the Chi Phi Fraternity and was on Cornell's successful Rowing Team. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He then decided to follow in his father's footsteps and entered Harvard Law School. After two years his education was interrupted, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was drafted and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and sent to teach gunnery in Oklahoma. When leading the enlisted men to the range Bill rode a horse named "Stump." Standing 6'4" with extra-long legs, Bill was frustrated that his uniform's riding boots only reached halfway to his knees. He was on his way to the Philippines when peace was declared. He returned to Harvard and finished his law degree.
Then along came the Korean War and he was called to service again. It can sound funny coming from a guy raised in Wisconsin, but Bill always said Korea was "the coldest damn place he had ever been." He developed pneumonia there.
After Korea he moved to Los Angeles where it was sunny and warm. His first job was with the California Division of Highways, doing condemnation -- yes, he was one of the bad guys. While living in L.A., Bill met and married his first wife Caroline Smith, a widow with a young daughter named Kathleen, nicknamed Kit, whom he adopted. Bill and Caroline had one daughter, Janet Lynn.
Within a few years, Bill left the Division of Highways with a work associate and fellow attorney LeRoy "Skip" Taft, and they established the law firm Fisher & Taft.
In 1968, Bill moved his family to Pebble Beach, CA, and joined the Carmel law firm of Milliard, Tourangeau & Byers, adding "Fisher" to the firm's name. Bill and Caroline divorced in the early 1970's.
Late one morning while walking down Ocean Avenue, the tall and handsome Bill ran into Nancy Lee Loyd, an attractive, single, real estate broker. Both being Beach Club members, they smiled and greeted each other, and Bill asked Nancy if she would like to join him for lunch and she accepted. When the check arrived, Bill noticed he only had enough cash to cover the lunch and not the tip. He sheepishly asked Nancy if she would please cover the tip, and she did. Bill and Nancy were married in 1977. Over the years Bill referred to Nancy as "my blond retirement plan." Bill retired from the practice of law at the age of 88.
A very civic-minded gentleman, Bill served on several boards including The Boys and Girls Club of Los Angeles, York School and the Monterey Symphony. Bill was a Rotarian (Rotary International, Paul Harris Fellow) for decades.
Bill loved music all his life and played several instruments, mainly the trombone, performing with several local bands. Late in life he took tap dancing lessons and was the only man in the class.
Fit, healthy and up-for-adventure all of his life, Bill was a very active sportsman. His favorite forms of recreation were skiing, mountain climbing, tennis, yachting and flying. He loved to tell an audience his interesting stories about the time he landed his plane backwards or the one when he was a passenger on the Russian Icebreaker that almost reached the North Pole before becoming stuck in the ice. During quiet times he enjoyed tinkering in his workshop and solving elaborate jigsaw and crossword puzzles.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy, daughter Kit Fisher, of Santa Ana, CA, stepdaughter, Elizabeth (Kurt) Bush of Pebble Beach and stepson, Grady (Lissa) Hendrix of San Antonio, TX, and his many nephews from Wisconsin. The greatest tragedy in Bill's life was losing his daughter Janet in 2013.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Hospice of the Central Coast or their favorite charity. The family appreciates the care received from Dr. Harry Nervino, Hospice of the Central Coast, and the kind staff at The Cottages of Carmel.
At Bill's request, there will be no memorial service. He asks friends to raise a glass to his long and full ninety-nine years.


View the online memorial for William Fisher