Edward J. Fischer 03/16/2018

Edward J Fischer
Beloved husband, father and son Edward Fischer passed away peacefully at the age of 86 following a short illness on March. 15, 2018. He is survived by his son Steven J Fischer, daughter in law, Pamela Fischer and granddaughter Anna. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward J and Minnie Buys Fischer and his wife Virginia Flight Fischer.
Ed lived a life of service to his country and to his community. He was a career military officer, retiring from the Army in 1969 after twenty years of active duty. A decorated veteran, he received the Good Conduct Medal with two knots, the National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Republic of Vietnam campaign ribbon, and the Meritorious Unit Citation. In 1969, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, which is reserved for members of the armed services who commit acts of heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. He met his late wife Virginia Fischer while serving at Ft. Drum (then Camp Drum) and after marriage lived in France and Germany before returning to DeKalb Junction. Married for 56 years, Ed and Virginia will be forever remembered for their contributions to DeKalb, most notably the creation of senior citizen housing, the historical museum and chairing the Herman-DeKalb alumni association for decades.

Upon retirement from the army, he served as a Deputy Sheriff for St. Lawrence County for 15 years where he was known for his kindness to all, including people who were processed under his care. His commitment to service didn’t end with retirement and he spent the next 30 years as an active volunteer in his community. Having volunteered for the Radio Emergency Citizens Action Teams (REACT) while in the military he continued providing emergency service in DeKalb as a volunteer fireman. He served as chaplain of the DeKalb Senior Citizens association, holding membership for more than ten years. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels, assisting at the nutrition center and advocated on several occasions for its continued service to the community. One of his proudest moments was being recognized as St. Lawrence County’s New York State Senior Citizen’s of the year in 2015. He also enjoyed the fellowship of the church community as a member of the DeKalb Methodist church.
Ed loved fishing, following navy ships on his Ham radio, playing flight simulator video games and keeping up with community affairs. He moved to Washington state in December 2016 to be with his son’s family where he enjoyed sampling the many ethnic foods in the area as well as the local breweries. He recently visited elementary schools, in full uniform, to describe his experiences as a veteran. Ed will be dearly missed by everyone who knew him.
Visiting hours will be from noon-2 pm on Saturday, March 31st, at the Allen-Denesha Funeral Home in Dekalb Junction. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the American Heart Association or the Hermon Rescue Squad.