Elinor L. Fisher's Obituary
Elinor L. Fisher, 1924 – 2018Elinor L. Fisher, a beloved mother, grandmother and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 93 years at Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral, Florida, October 24.A member of “The Greatest Generation,” Elinor was born Nov. 1, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Kenneth and Ada Apt. Just four years old when the Great Depression hit, her youth was marked by financial struggle for her family – and the entire country. A few short years later, the U.S. entered World War II, bringing challenges for Elinor as a young woman. She enrolled in the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps in 1943 at the same time that she entered nursing school at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. While in nursing school, she married Irvin Ralph Fisher on May 3, 1944. Irv was a lieutenant in the Army Air Corps who deployed to the European theatre four months after their wedding.In 1945, Elinor graduated as a registered nurse, and her husband subsequently graduated from Pennsylvania State with a degree in engineering. Her husband’s career in agricultural engineering management led them to move to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Avon, Ithaca, Trumansburg and Cortland, New York. While in Trumansburg, they owned and operated Searsburg Eggland, during which time Elinor not only worked on the farm during the day, but also worked at the hospital at night.They retired in Fort Myers, Florida. Elinor and her husband worked as volunteers for Hope Hospice and attended the Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers.After Irv passed away in 1997, Elinor moved to Gulf Coast Village and engaged in activities such as oil painting. She enjoyed international travel and visited places such as Australia, Costa Rica, Turkey, Thailand, Paris and London, returning to the U.S. on a transatlantic cruise on the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).Elinor’s family was the center of her universe. One way that she showed her devotion was by serving as a private nurse when immediate family members were hospitalized to ensure round-the-clock care.In addition to her husband, Elinor was predeceased by her daughter Ronalee (Bill) Gray, her sisters Muriel (Al) Blair and Elaine (Art) Rittenhouse and her grandson Josh Alexander. She is survived by her son Kenneth and her daughters Nancy (Doug) Burris and Amy (Loren) Alexander; grandchildren Christopher, Michael and Jennifer Gray, Audrey and Brittany Fisher, Nicole and Melissa Burris and Casey, Scott and Ryan Alexander; her sister Carol (Gene) Taschetti, her brother-in-law and dear friend Al Blair and his wife Audrey; great grandchildren; nephews and nieces.A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 17th @ 2:30 p.m. at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens, 1589 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33907.Donations in Elinor’s memory may be made to: Hope Hospice, Development Office, 9470 HealthPark Circle, Fort Myers, FL 33908, (239) 482-4673 or [email protected].
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