Donald Mais Fisher, 82, passed away peacefully in the presence of his loving family Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Delaware Veterans Home in Milford.
Don was born in Milford Sept. 3, 1943, to Edwin and Frances Fisher. Neighborhood friends gathered frequently at the family home on Lakeview Avenue for basketball, pool and backyard pole vaulting. He was an Eagle Scout, a beloved class leader, was also a varsity athlete in football, basketball, and track. He graduated from Milford High School in 1961 and was described in his senior yearbook as “Never satisfied, always striving to improve” – truly a lifelong mindset.
Don attended University of Delaware, where he was a Sigma Nu and pole vaulted on the track team for four years. He set a Carpenter Field pole vault record in 1963 and received the prestigious University of Delaware scholar-athlete award in 1965. He was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa, and received a B.A. in history with honors in 1965.
Don enlisted in the Air Force in 1966, attended Officer Training School, and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant, assigned to Keesler Air Force Base. He married Pat Macky, his college sweetheart, March 18, 1967, and they spent two years in Biloxi, Miss. They welcomed their daughter, Catherine, at Fort Lee in Petersburg, Va., in 1969. Don completed his service as a captain in 1970, and the family returned to Milford, where they welcomed Julie in 1974 and Cara in 1979.
Don worked for many years at Fisher Furniture and Appliances, a cornerstone of downtown Milford founded by his father. He helped expand the furniture business and introduced video rentals. His true work, however, centered on helping his community. After earning an M.A. in psychology from Washington College in 1974, he served on the original board of People’s Place, a counseling center for individuals and families. He taught human relations at Del Tech and contributed his time and talents to local organizations including Avenue United Methodist, where he was a youth leader, served as Sunday school superintendent for 17 years, and made generous donations to the food pantry. He also led the area’s first support group for prostate cancer patients and survivors. He was honored with a Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service in 1986 and a Friend of Recreation Award from Milford Parks and Recreation in 1988.
Under the playful persona of “Mr. Fishe,” Don delighted children at Avenue Preschool and at schools, libraries, parks, and birthday parties throughout the region. A certified juggling instructor, he taught hundreds of people to juggle at the Tot Lot and Rehoboth Bandstand for more than 25 years through Rehoboth Parks and Recreation.
A lifelong athlete, Don made an indelible contribution to the local sports scene. He ran several marathons including Philadelphia and Portland (with Catherine in 1997). He built Milford’s first racquetball court and was a fixture on tennis courts throughout southern Delaware. He and Pat were a formidable doubles team, winning numerous titles at Shawnee Country Club and a tournament in Nassau they entered at the last minute with rented racquets. Don served as a dedicated hitting partner and mentor for dozens of young area players, many of whom remember his words of wisdom to this day. He co-coached girls’ tennis at Milford High School beginning in Julie’s junior year (1991), helped lead the team to a state championship in Cara’s senior year (1997), and coached the boys’ team in 2006. He advocated passionately to improve and preserve the courts at Rehoboth Elementary, where there is now a thriving tennis and pickleball scene. In 1999, he won a bronze medal for pole vaulting at the National Senior Olympics in Orlando. He also coached his 99-year-old father-in-law, Bud Macky, to a gold medal in racewalking in 2005.
Don was deeply interested in spirituality, wellness, and fitness throughout his life. He was an early practitioner of meditation and reflexology, and was instrumental in Julie’s decision to pursue a career in massage therapy and sound healing. He had a deep reverence for the beauty of the natural world and delighted in sharing rare phenomena such as a tree full of white ibises or a luna moth at rest with friends and family. He also cherished his role as Granddad to Catherine’s children, Zoë and Tate. He helped them learn how to swim, ride bikes and play tennis, and he found endless ways to entertain them (and many other young children in his life) through playful stories, giant bubbles, and inventive backyard and beach games.
Don is survived by his deeply loyal and loving wife of 59 years, Patricia Fisher; daughter, Catherine Carr and her husband Scot of Seattle, Wash.; daughter, Julie Fisher and her partner Jeff Rice of Ocean View; daughter, Cara Fisher and her fiancé Chris Staples of Nashville, Tenn.; and grandchildren, Zoë Frances and William Tate Carr. Don was predeceased by his parents, and his older brother, Ted Fisher.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 18, at Avenue United Methodist, 20 N. Church St., Milford, with visitation beginning at 9 a.m. A reception at the church will immediately follow the service. The family will also host an informal 5K run/walk in Don’s memory at Killens Pond State Park the morning of Sunday, April 19 (details to follow).
Don touched countless lives with his lifelong enthusiasm for learning and teaching, his generosity of time and spirit, and his special ability to connect deeply with people of all ages and backgrounds, with empathy and wisdom.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Milford or Rehoboth Parks and Recreation, People’s Place, or a charity of choice. We also invite you to honor Don’s memory by finding the joy and beauty in a flock of snow geese settling into a field, a perfectly placed backhand, or the sunshine sparkling on the waves.
For condolences, visit rogersfhmilford.com.
