Obituary of Donald Lewis Fisher

Donald Lewis Fisher was born on June 28, 1935 to Donald Clarence Fisher and Nellie (Kneeland) Fisher in Oroville, California. He died in Milwaukie, Oregon on November 6, 2019 with his children and his loving wife Ann at his side. Don is survived by his wife Ann (Westendorf) Fisher, daughter M. Lenor Fisher, son Chad L. Fisher, stepdaughter Erin Lahrson, stepdaughter Alice (Lahrson) Burke and her husband Ryan Burke, grandchildren Ayla Burke and Everett Burke, one sister, Claudia (Fisher) Saunders, one niece, Christy (Saunders) Cypress and many friends. Don's earliest years were spent living with his mother in Oakland, California. These were often tough times, but Don recalled that he developed a love of and appreciation for art and music during that period. Importantly, his great passion for the tender rearing of children was seeded during those years. At age ten, Don joined his father and stepmother and family on a ranch in Bakersfield, California. Don thrived in a rural environment, perfect for a lad of his energies and interests. He was surrounded by dogs, cows, horses, large tracts of farmland, and wide open spaces for roaming with his first horses Poncho and Bucky. The family left the farm after a few years and moved to Sacramento where Don completed high school. Don enlisted in the Air Force in 1956 and was stationed in Hawaii for four years. During that time he married Joyce Hauser and his daughter Lenor was born. After his discharge, the family remained in Hawaii and Don continued his work with many horses, including his own Haumea and Koko and a string of bucking broncs that Don and his teenaged riding students gentled into "cream puffs", further developing his natural talent for understanding horse behavior. In 1967, soon after his son Chad was born, Don and the family returned to Oakland, California and lived there until 1968 when they purchased the farm "Alta" in Yamhill County, Oregon. During the Alta years Don became an extraordinary gardener, and at the same time pursued his interest in raising and educating children with tender kindness. Don provided Chad and Lenor and other children with what was then unheard of but is now known as free range home education. Don was active in the local community and taught Parent Effectiveness Training to great acclaim. In 1978 Don was appointed to Yamhill County's Social Service Coordinating Commission. Don and Joyce divorced in 1980 and by 1984, Don was living in Portland and had graduated from Evergreen State College with a degree in social work. He went to work for Oregon Department of Children and Families as a Foster and Adoptive Parent Trainer. A consummate storyteller, Don drew on his personal experiences to teach and encouraged parents to be strong advocates for these children. The parents loved it! After retiring from the State of Oregon in 2003, Don continued his advocacy for children through his Internet activities. Don and Ann had been friends since the Alta years and in 1995, both now single, were drawn together again. They married in 1996 and spent much time exploring the back country of Washington and Oregon together. In 2000 they moved to Carson, Washington to enjoy retirement and rural living, wildlife, a lush garden, and the company of two cats, two dogs, and of course, two more horses, Altea and Bonnie. They were happily married for 23 years. Don's health began to decline and by the end of 2016, the horses had new homes, the country home was sold, and Don and Ann moved to Milwaukie, Oregon. They continued to enjoy trips to the Oregon Coast and precious afternoons exploring the gardens and countryside of the Willamette Valley. Don had such a zest for life even after he became ill. Always ahead of his time in computer literacy, he was able to build a rich and engaging life on the Internet beginning in the early 1990's and continued even as his vision began to fail. Even though his body grew weaker, Don never stopped honing his writing and research skills. He found great satisfaction in his discussions in cyberspace until the very end. We miss him so very much. A private memorial will be held in early December. For information, please contact Ann at annkatfish@gmail.com In Memoriam To honor Don's passion for the gentle treatment of children and horses, the family suggests memorial gifts to the following organizations. Oregon CASA Network Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children 187 High Street NE, Suite #210, Salem, OR 97301 971.301.2998 https://oregoncasanetwork.org/ info@oregoncasanetwork.org https://www.facebook.com/OregonCASANetwork/ Oregon Horse Rescue 4771 Pacific Ave. Suite A. Eugene, OR 97402 Message Phone: (541) 520-0371 https://www.oregonhorserescue.com OregonHorseRescueAndRehab@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/OregonHorseRescue/ Wild Horse Mountain Ranch A Mustang Rescue and Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship. 27400 SW Ladd Hill RD, Sherwood, OR https://www.wildhorsemountain.org/home.html