Allison Fisher

BERKELEY, Calif. - On Sept. 22, 2005, Allison Fisher died gracefully and powerfully at home with her loving husband at her side, following a long and valiant battle with lymphoma.
Allison was absolutely her own person and never strode blindly down life's path, but always found and followed the right and compassionate way without regard for her personal benefit. She will be greatly missed by her community and particularly those who had the good fortune to know her.
Originally from Montana, a place she loved and longed for throughout her life. Born in 1954, Allison grew up in Billings, daughter of Garry and Patty Fisher, and attended Rocky Mountain College there. She later attended the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula, where she received her law degree and where she developed many of her most enduring friendships
Allison moved to the Bay Area in 1980 to study at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.
It was in Berkeley, while managing and booking music at a local concert venue, that she met her husband, Avram Siegel, in 1984. Together, they helped found the traditional bluegrass band True Blue, which toured widely in the United States and in which she distinguished herself as an outstanding bass player. A songwriter herself, Allison invested extensive amounts of time in researching and collecting the songs in the band's repertoire as well as booking and promoting the band. A highlight of the band's, as well as Allison's career, was a fantastic nine-date tour of Montana in August of 2002.
Allison's latest attachments were to the city of Paris and to her Border collie, Jack, but her greatest love, her husband, survives her and he mourns her passing.
A memorial gathering will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 10, at the Freight and Salvage at 1111 Addison St. in Berkeley.
Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.