Nancy Ann Fisher, 87, passed away on November 23rd, 2024.

Nancy's life was marked by perseverance, hard work, attention to detail, and generosity. She was born on November 6, 1937 in Baker, Oregon to salesman Joseph Harlow Woods and nurse Irene Phipps Woods. After her parents' divorce in 1942, Nancy moved to Seattle with her mother while Irene completed some schooling. This year proved difficult for Nancy and Irene for many reasons (Nancy recalled arriving to her first day of boarding school only to find it had burned to the ground the day before!), but after her mother completed her schooling, the two moved back to Idaho, where Irene was employed as a public health nurse. Nancy spent a lot of time independently as a child, and that independence became an enduring and central part of her personality.

After graduating from Lewiston Senior High School in Lewiston, ID, she went on to study at the University of Idaho. It was here that Nancy met Kenneth Moore Fisher, a then roommate of her cousin, John Falen. They were married on June 6, 1959, and "Nanc" (as Ken called her) got a job at the junior high school in Mackay, Idaho, while Ken worked at the high school. Ken was a dreamer and a visionary, and with Nancy's practical life skills and determination the two made an incredible team. In 1962, the couple welcomed their first child, Robert. Later that same year, the family moved to Deer Park, WA, where Nancy found Ken a job as the band director of the high school. The couple moved into the Leuthold House in Deer Park, firmly establishing their commitment to the community. Over the years, Nancy taught a variety of subjects (including history, English, and economics), supervised the high school paper, and garnered a reputation as a tough but fair teacher who took her role as instructor very seriously. Ken and Nancy welcomed their second child, Brooke, in 1967. Brooke suffered from severe asthma and epilepsy, and the family built a new farmhouse to help safeguard her health.

Nancy furthered her education at Whitworth College, receiving her Master of Education degree in 1978 and going on to become the principal of Arcadia Elementary. While completing her degree, Nancy co-authored a book about the history of Deer Park with Etta May Bennett (Pioneer Days Reviewed: Historical Resources of the Deer Park Area, Fisher & Bennet, 1970). Nancy also applied her passion for history by serving the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce as a historian, being a member of the Clayton & Deer Park Historical Society, and researching/recording her own family history.

After losing her daughter in 1995, retiring that same year, and losing her mother at the beginning of 1996, Ken and Nancy decided to snowbird in Arizona. At Viewpoint RV and Golf Resort in Mesa, Ken and Nancy quickly got involved - Ken with the choir and band, and Nancy with the bridge club and genealogy club. The couple enjoyed retirement, going on long RV road trips, spending time at their lake cabin, hosting and attending family reunions, and continuing to care for their farm. After Ken passed away, Nancy moved up to Fairwood Retirement Village in Spokane, where she continued to play bridge, research, organize, and stay in close contact with friends and family.

Nancy was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ken, and her two children, Rob and Brooke, and we rejoice to think of their reunion. Nancy is survived by her four grandchildren: Rachel-Ann Miller, Ryan Fisher (Kayla), Luke Fisher (Megan), and John Fisher (Vivianna), as well as five great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her steadfastness, knowledge, and generosity.

A celebration of Nancy's life will be held at the Kenneth M. Fisher Performing Arts Center at Deer Park High School on Saturday, January 18th at 1PM.