Rev. William F. Fisher

1933 - 2021

(News Story)
The Blade


The Rev. William F. Fisher, an engaging pastor and inspiring teacher who shared his love for opera and theater with his students, died Aug. 30 at Flower Hospital in Sylvania. He was 87, but three days shy of his 88th birthday.

Father Bill, as most called him, had been in declining health since he retired from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Monroe at the end of 2013. He suffered a heart attack in 2008 and had neck and back problems that were painful and limited his mobility as he aged, the Rev. Ronald Olszewski said.

He left a lasting impression on students and staff at St. Frances de Sales High School, where he taught English from 1965 through 1979.

"He was a very colorful guy," said Father Olszewski, a former president of the school who was principal when Father Fisher was hired. "For students, he was a very engaging teacher because he was so dramatic."

Judge Gene Zmuda, of Ohio's Sixth District Court of Appeals, was a St. Francis student from 1973 through 1977 and got to know Father Fisher as an English teacher and guidance counselor.

"He epitomized the best qualities of what all teachers aspire to, that is to be able to engage students, encourage them, and really inspire them to find something out about themselves that they didn't realize they had in them," Judge Zmuda said. "He was well loved when he taught at St. Francis, and I think that was because of the inspiration."

Judge Zmuda maintained a close friendship with his former teacher, who later officiated at his wedding. He said when Father Fisher left teaching in 1979 and went to lead St. Paschal Catholic Church in Taylor, Mich., he was surprised because he was so good with students.

But after visiting him at St. Paschal and later at St. Joseph in Monroe, Judge Zmuda said he realized he was lending the same inspiration he did to his students, but to a larger audience.

"He was classically trained with a master's in English, but he wasn't aloof and was able to engage all strata of the human element, and that was powerful in his ministry," he said.

Born Sept. 2, 1933 in Philadelphia to Mildred and William Fisher, he graduated from the Oblate High School in Philadelphia, Northeast Catholic, in 1951 and entered the Oblate novitiate in Childs, Md. He made his first profession of vows as an Oblate on Sept. 14, 1952 and was ordained a priest on June 3, 1961.

Father Fisher pursued philosophy and theological studies at Catholic University in Washington and went on to receive his master's degree in English there in 1967. He returned to his alma mater Northeast Catholic to teach from 1962 to 1964 before he began his time at St. Francis in Toledo.

In addition to his teaching at St. Francis he helped found a successful swimming team and made it a point to introduce students to theater, classical music, and opera. He often took groups of students to Toledo Opera Company performances.

A notice of his retirement party and "roasting" event, sent to The Blade in 1979, invited the public to an "evening of well-wishing and reminiscing."

"Most seniors of the last few years can remember his booming voice as director and master of ceremonies at graduation. His talents are many, his friends abound," the notice said.

He served as pastor of St. Paschal for 14 years before moving to Monroe to oversee the St. Joseph and St. Anne parishes. He officiated at hundreds of baptisms, funerals, confirmations, weddings, and First Communions, according to a 2013 article in the Monroe News.

In 2011 the parish marked his 50th anniversary as a priest with a celebration that brought his family in from the Philadelphia area, that report said, and in 2012 the parish center was named after him. He learned Spanish, and in 2013 he led 200 people in a Feast Day Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

He was a member of the Monroe Parks and Recreation Commission for six years and served as commissioner of parks and recreation in Taylor for three years.

He retired in 2013 and entered the senior status as an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales in residence at St. Francis High School. He moved to Rosary Care Center in Sylvania in 2017.

Father Fisher loved opera and was a member of the Toledo Opera Company's chorus, performing in nearly 70 productions and 30 operas and operettas as a second tenor. He was a founding member of the Lyric Opera of Toledo and served as its vice president.

He also loved to travel and visited more than 35 countries on five continents.

"It was part of his zest for life, to experience life to its fullest, as the opportunity presented itself, so you could become the fullest person that God intended you to be," Judge Zmuda said.

Surviving are his brother, Robert F. Fisher, and sisters, Miriam Bryant and Geraldine Flail.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 4:45 p.m. at Gesu Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd., followed by a mass at 5 p.m.

The family suggests tributes to the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, P.O. Box 2868, Toledo, OH 43606.