Thomas John Fisher, age 76 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died peacefully on Friday, December 27, 2019 at home, surrounded by his loving family and under the caring watch of Hunterdon Hospice.

Born in Hanover Township, PA, September 26, 1943, son of the late Aloysius Girard and Eleanor Louise Yezefski Fisher, he was raised in Hanover Township before moving to Cranford,  NJ for several years. He had lived in Raritan Township since 1973, in the home he and his devoted wife, Donna Lee Preston Fisher, built from the ground up on land they fell in love with those many years ago.

Tom was a computer specialist, having worked for many years at Honeywell, Cranford, NJ, and then later for Data Vista, Inc., Columbus, NJ before retiring.

A United States Coast Guard veteran, Tom served his country for four years and then spent several more in the reserves. He very much enjoyed his time in the service, even re-enlisting so he could serve a tour of duty in Alaska.

Meeting Donna on a blind date, there was a ‘spark’ there for them both; they were married on August 9, 1969 and loved all of their fifty plus years together. Donna noted that their longevity was due to open communication and compromising, as well as sticking to the old adage of never going to bed angry.

Their union would yield two children, Amy and Brian, who both commented that Tom was always there for his family. Strong-willed, he was always real and very supportive of them in all their endeavors. They also noted that Tom was that way to everyone; he “never shut the door on anyone” and was generous and genuinely interested in other people and being there for them however he was able.

Tom had many hobbies, hunting and being outdoors chief among them. He also enjoyed bicycling, hiking, running and exercising, shooting pool, absorbing and learning anything about history and politics, watching all types of sports and rooting for the New York Yankees and New York Giants, and of course dancing and drinking scotch!

Tom had a reputation for never speaking bad about anyone and was known in all his circles as being loyal, compassionate, thoughtful, dependable and caring. He was known for his quick-witted catch phrases and tips for living life which included, “Breath in the air”, “Remember where you came from”, Don’t worry about what you can’t control”, “Always take the high road”, “Never give up”, and, “Do your best.” Though his death came too soon, the way he fought against his illness was an inspiration to all, as he did it the same way in which he lived: he did his best, never gave up and set an example of love for his grandchildren to follow.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Girard A. Fisher, and his faithful shitzu, Maggie.

Surviving are his wife, Donna Lee Preston Fisher; a daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Ken Probst; a son and daughter-in-law, Brian Fisher and Danila Rumold; his grandchildren, Ian and Kai Probst, and Emilia Rumold and Oliver Fisher; his siblings, Sharon and her husband, Al Bagusky, Noreen Draht, and Dave and his wife, Barbara Fisher; his best friend since his youth, Joe Lombardo; many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family; and many dear friends.

A  life celebration service officiated by Certified Celebrant D.J. Wright will take place on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Committal words followed by cremation at Ewing Crematory, Ewing Township, NJ, were private under the direct supervision of the Wright & Ford Licensed Care Team Family.

Please visit Tom’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a memorial candle, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to honor Tom are asked to please consider making a gift in his name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Please click HERE to be taken to his personal donation page. For those who wish to make a contribution via mail, please make checks payable to “In Memory Of” and send to P.O. Box 5472, Charlottesville, VA 22905. Kindly note ‘Tom Fisher’ in the memo. All contributions, regardless of the amount, are very much appreciated by the family.