Obituary of Victor Herbert Fisher Jr.

Victor Herbert Fisher Jr. was born on July 1st 1937 to Elma and Vic . First born, he would be the big brother to Carolyn and Barbara. And so would begin his mission of loyal, protector and compassionate family man. Those who knew him as a boy would describe him as talkative, athletic, artistic and even charismatic. He spent time with family in the Bronx in his early years and moved to Mineola, NY. Young Vic enjoyed German pork dinners at his Grandparents, Bertha and William Lauffer. Family legend holds that on the trains, smelling these dinners, the conductors would not announce Certona Ave, but "next stop Spaetzles, Red Cabbage and Roast Pork." At this giant table in the Bronx, with Aunt Mimi, Uncle Ronnie, and Grandpa he would learn how to tell a story and how to play Pinochle. Circumstances dictated that Vic would go into the Navy in 1956. His service number was 465 89 50 and he served aboard the USS Chambers, a reconditioned destroyer escort, now radar picket ship in the North Atlantic during the Cold War. Though most of his recounted tales sound like McHale's Navy he was also stationed in Cuba when the US still supported Castro and witnessed shipmates AWOLing to fight in the jungles for "pay, glory and rum." His favorite Navy tales include a crazy ship mate riding a pretend motorcycle before ending up in the brig for cursing out the captain on the ship's intercom early christmas morning. An electrician, he loved to spin yarns, as his grandsons sat transfixed, of changing lightbulbs on the masts as the rolling ship nearly dipped his feet in the Atlantic's icy whitecaps. But perhaps his most repeated story was seeing a brawl erupt while in port in Rhode Island while Fats Domino played for the servicemen. Despite the blood, glass and arrests Vic would love to tell you how Fats never even paused and for that he saw him as the greatest entertainer of all time. Vic was a talkative, bright and successful student. He graduated from Mineola High School. He met Diane Elizabeth VanLusky and it has been said he proposed to her at their first chance meeting at a party. She did not say yes to his spontaneous proposal then, but they did begin to date and were married in May of 1960. Their only son Victor H. Fisher III (Duke) came along in February of 1964. As a new husband and father Vic completed additional schooling at night school for advancement with his first career with NARDA Microwave in Hicksville NY. Vic was known to be a driven and compassionate supervisor. He held great affection for many of those who worked for him and they would be frequent guests at the Fisher dinner table. His lunch time pinochle game became stuff of legend and his coworkers refused to believe that despite the passionate play, never a nickel was exchanged at the fierce lunch room table. As a young father, he remained a bit of a sportsman, bowling in family leagues first at the Sheridan Bowling alley, where, as a kid, he had been a "pin spotter" before the advent of the automated machines. Bowling would remain one of his mostly on again pursuits, once he moved his family upstate. In later years he became a real student of the game, with handwritten notes, or more meditations, that he would read to himself before his turn. Never satisfied, his office was crammed with patches and bowling achievements including a ring and patch for his 300/perfect game achieved in the 90s at the Bainbridge Bowl-O-Drome. He also played softball for NARDA, Newsday and later the Sidney Moose Club where his unorthodox side arm throw from third base was known to be a cannon. Early family vacations were spent with his sister Carolyn's family, the Zytkas, at O'Conners cabins in lake George. These trips may have been the inspiration to relocate upstate. In 1973 Vic and Diane bought the Algonkin Motel in Bainbridge. They looked at many upstate businesses. Vic decided on Bainbridge when visiting Greenlawn Elementary. He noticed that none of the bikes had locks. He said he knew "he wanted his family to be in this place." Vic took to his upstate life. He enjoyed growing his own vegetables for his family, raising chickens and smoking his own meats. He joined Rotary and he and Diane hosted many international students. Vic is remembered by many as their bus driver, and then their children's bus driver, braving over twenty winters on his mountainous route for the Bainbridge-Guilford school district. But what dominated his schedule was family and the demands of a twenty four hour commitment to the motel, rarely sleeping through the night without a customer. Trips were few, and actual vacations could be counted on one hand, because the motel could never be unattended. Vic bought the home next to the motel and brought his mom and dad to Bainbridge, where Elma enjoyed the Moose Club and Grandpa fancied himself a NASCAR driver of the riding lawn mower set. Vic always the good son, took good care of his mom and dad. A man who loved deeply, he had small handwritten notes marking the passing of each of his pets. Next to their names and the date and time of their passing, he had often simply written, "broken hearted again". These were kept in the top drawer of his desk: Fritzy, Freddy, Dudley ("do-wrong"), Adam, Goldie, Coonie, Topsie, Honey, William Griffith Goat, Farrah Fawcett Fisher, Shannon, Bertha, Suzie the Donkey, Lady, Carolyn, Gertie, Elma, Ronald, Mimi, Dottie and Peggy, and still living his one eyed bag of bones Hobbs the cat. But, Vic hit his stride when he transformed into "Papa", the giant of his grandson's lives. In papa, Victor Herbert Fisher IV (Bud) and Griffin Lance Fisher had a chauffeur, confident, historian and biggest fan for any of their efforts especially, wrestling, football and of course he was a perennial pit-crewer for boys when paddling the 70 miler. Through "Papa and Bacia" Bud and Grif would learn their greatest lessons of devotion and love. A story teller, and a man who liked to learn through conversation, he often kept many of his motel customers longer than they expected in the office, speaking of his son, and grandsons. Even strangers had to know how much he loved his boys. The last few years, papa struggled with dementia. His story telling moments or flashes of his humor were treats that became further and further apart. He lived with his son Duke for the later part of the pandemic, but never settled in there, always wishing to be with Diane no matter what. When his need for care outstretched his family he was welcomed, in April of 2022, by the Veterans home in Oxford New York just ten minutes from his family. There he received round the clock compassionate support from loving staff/friends as his needs increased. Vic passed away in his bed at the Veteran's home on November 21st 2022. Earlier that day he watched TV with his son Duke and enjoyed some of his favorites: All in the Family, Taxi, and the last episode of M*A*S*H. Vic's family takes great comfort knowing he will be welcomed home by his mom, dad and sister Carolyn. We expect he will be shown the ropes of this next phase by his "adopted son" Warren Price. His family is sure he will be given his wings by his great nephew Lance Zytka. But finally, he will be side by side, in full debate, telling the old stories with his beloved grandson Griffin who also left us in August of this year. A service for Vic is being planned and will be announced at a later date. Details can be found at the Landers Funeral home website and social media.