Linda Lee Fisher, a former proofreader for the state Department of Legislative Services who also helped maintain the House of Delegates website, died of complications from corticobasal degeneration, a rare neurological disease. The 68-year-old Severna Park resident died July 22 at Anne Arundel Medical Center while Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" played in the background.
Mrs. Fisher devoted much of her life to giving back. She cooked meals for the Light House shelter in Annapolis, served as an active member of Severna Park United Methodist Church, regularly donated plasma and taught young women "to be strong and look for more in life" as a Girl Scout leader, her daughter Kimberly Knight said. She penned regular letters to the editor about her opposition to gambling and slots, her fear that video games would "numb young minds" to the finality of death, and the threat of mercury ending up in landfills from broken light bulbs.
"She was a complex creature who never sought attention," Mrs. Knight said. "She had a fire in her belly that you wouldn't know, because she was a fairly quiet person. It came out in her actions and her writings. She had a strong sense of wanting to be a voice for those without voices."
Mrs. Knight called her mother "the greatest example you could ever have."
Born in Baltimore on Christmas Day in 1946, she was the daughter of Herbert and Nancy Miller. Mrs. Fisher was raised in the Baltimore Highlands neighborhood and graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1964.
Her husband of nearly 49 years, David J. Fisher Sr., said she first caught his attention at a local teen center, where she captivated him with her blue "Hollywood eyes" and the way she became animated when she told a story. Mr. Fisher said he learned of his future wife's love of adventure during their first date when she was unfazed by the car trouble he had that left him a nervous wreck.
"I kept apologizing," Mr. Fisher said. "She said, 'I had a really good time.' She was always up for the unexpected."
After high school graduation, Mrs. Fisher worked as an administrative assistant at the National Security Agency before giving birth to four children in five years. In 1971, she helped her husband establish their business, Dave's Collision Center, where she did bookkeeping and clerical work.
She started working for the state in 2000, first as a proofreader, Mr. Fisher said. She eventually began working on the House of Delegates website, updating the status of various bills, among other duties.
She continued to enroll in classes at Anne Arundel Community College until her neurological disease began to progress.
Mr. Fisher said his wife kept so busy that "when she sat down to watch television with me, I had to say, 'What's wrong?'"
Vicki Cavey met Mrs. Fisher more than 50 years ago when the two were girls growing up on the same street. They remained close, becoming godparents to one another's children and taking family vacations together to Ocean City. After their children were grown, Mrs. Cavey said, she and Mrs. Fisher traveled the world together. She treasures the memory of the night they stood in awe, looking up at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, holding hands.
"We have always been there for one another," Mrs. Cavey said. "She was truly like a sister to me, and my very best girlfriend. She will be deeply missed."
When Mrs. Cavey's husband died 12 years ago of pancreatic cancer, Mrs. Fisher called her every day for a year to "make sure I was OK, and that I could get through the day."
Mrs. Cavey said she plans to make some of Mrs. Fisher's favorite recipes to take to her wake, including her shortbread dipped in chocolate — "the best shortbread in town."
Rosemary Fisher, Mrs. Fisher's sister-in-law, said she always admired Mrs. Fisher. She was a "beautiful seamstress" and highly organized. And no matter how busy life got, Rosemary Fisher said, she knew she could count on her sister-in-law.
"She did it all quietly, but you knew she was there," she said. "That is the kind of person she was."
A funeral service is planned for 11 a.m. Monday at Severna Park United Methodist Church at 731 Benfield Road. She will be cremated.
In addition to her husband and daughter, Mrs. Fisher is survived by another daughter, Michele Mark, and her husband, Darius; a son David J. Fisher Jr.; a son Brian Fisher, and his wife, Kerri; a son-in-law Caje Knight; sisters, Susan Weaver and Peggy Miller; and nine grandchildren, Brennan Knight, Dunavan Knight, Anslee Knight, Thomas Mark, Henry Mark, Alexander Mark, Abigail Mark, Cooper Fisher and Josephine Fisher.
She was preceded in death by her brothers, Ronald Frick and John Miller.
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