Mark Joseph Fisher

1953 - 2019

Mark Joseph Fisher

- - December 5, 1953 - September 3, 2019.

Mark Fisher passed away at home peacefully on September 3 following a long illness with prostate cancer which he had borne with great courage and grace.

Mark was the son of Edgar and Rosemary Fisher (nee Fischer) and the youngest of three brothers (Thomas and Michael). He grew up in Red Hook, New York, in the Hudson Valley.

Mark was a man of uncommon intelligence and wisdom, leavened with a wry sense of humor. He was deeply moral and unfailingly kind; but rarely suffered fools gladly. His interests were far-ranging: he was an avid student of history and current events, with a strong commitment to civic duty, community service, environmental conservation, and human rights. He was a 1976 graduate of Oneonta College, studied law at Albany Law School of Union University and Fordham University School of Law and was admitted to the New York State bar in 1980. During his legal career he was in-house counsel in the insurance industry. Following his retirement, he reveled in the opportunity to pursue his many personal interests, ranging from bird watching to refurbishing vintage cameras, as well traveling frequently with his brother Michael on scenic rail tours all across the United States and Canada.

Although generally reserved and soft-spoken, Mark was an outspoken advocate for the causes in which he believed. He was active in a variety of local community organizations: an elected district representative to the Teaneck Municipal Democratic Committee; a past president of the Teaneck Rowing Club; a warden and vestry member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church of Teaneck. He established and maintained the Little Free Library on the grounds of St. Mark's. In recognition of his many contributions, Mark recently was awarded the David Paul Hegg II 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Senior Ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark.

Although he was a man of many accomplishments, he cherished and was proudest of his three daughters, Catherine, Emily and Sarah, who survive him. He is also survived by his beloved wife Margot Embree Fisher, with whom he just celebrated his 39th anniversary. In addition, he is survived by his son-in-law Justin Cifuentes, brother Michael (Karen) Fisher, sister-in-law Mary Susan Sabol, mother-in-law Suzanne Harpole Embree, and brother-in-law Ralph (Diana) Embree, and nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 14 at 11:00 am, followed by burial of ashes in the Memorial Garden and a repast at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 118 Chadwick Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Teaneck), the Northern New Jersey Sanctuary Committee, the Bergen County Audubon Society, the Teaneck Rowing Club, or other charity of your choosing.