John Frederick Fisher (18 Dec 1929 - 24 Apr 2020)

In loving memory of John Fredrick Fisher, who sadly passed away on 24th April 2020, aged 90 years. He was a beloved husband to his first wife Margaret and following her death, to his second wife Yolande, to whom he was married for 35 happy years. He was a much-loved brother to his late sister Mavis, and a beloved father to his children, Clive, Clare and Amelia Rose, and to his stepchildren, Linda, Janette, Susan and Tracey, and also a beloved grandfather to their children.

John was a very creative man who liked doing nothing more than planning and making things, skills he inherited from his own father and that were developed during his time as an aero engineer at Rolls Royce. One of his proudest achievements was the establishment of Grangewood Lodge, a residential care home for the elderly. He did a large proportion of the planning and design for the home, as well as some of the manual work, particularly the more creative aspects. Later in life, he began making traditional rocking horses, which were all skilfully finished, and of which he was very proud. Grangewood Lodge and his rocking horses remain as lasting testaments to his creative and practical skills.

“His Lordship” was a real joker with a great sense of humour and a liking for practical jokes. He especially enjoyed reminiscing about his early life, particularly during the war, and would often end up in tears of laughter about some incident or other.

John had a real zest for life and wanted to carry on learning as long as possible. He really enjoyed using the internet to this end and was keen to carry on his education even into his 90th year.
He had a real interest in history, current affairs and films. He read “The Times” newspaper cover to cover, was abreast of all the latest political developments, and we all knew not to disturb him when “Prime Minister’s Question Time” was on! He also enjoyed watching old films on “Talking Pictures”, and relished reeling off the names of the actors.
He loved words and language and had an excellent memory. He could recite lengthy passages from Shakespeare and various poems including John Betjeman, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Albert & the Lion”, and a favourite childhood
verse called “Freddie the Frog”.
In his youth, he sang in a choir, and he carried a love of music and singing throughout his life. He was a fan of classical music, as well as Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller.

John was a very kind man who gave to a number of charities throughout his life. In a lot of ways he was quite old fashioned and liked tradition, for example, he never owned a pair of jeans or wore a tee-shirt, always preferring
a proper shirt.
He enjoyed many of the simple things in life. He loved being at home in Uttoxeter with Yolande and their dogs, Poppy & Bella. He loved nature and could sit for hours watching the birds; one of his favourite charities was the RSPB. He also enjoyed his food, particularly his wife’s cooking. However, if he ever went out anywhere to eat, he would be guaranteed to choose fish & chips, accompanied by a nice cold glass of lager & lime!

The whole family is greatly saddened by his loss, a sorrow that has been exacerbated by the current restrictions, and we will all miss him so very much.