Richard Baxter Fishering

RICHARD B. FISHERING, 93, passed away Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. He was born in Fort Wayne on Aug. 25, 1922, a son of George William Fishering and Muriel (Baxter) Fishering. He was a 1941 graduate of South Side High School, and graduated with a B.S. in Business from Indiana University in 1947. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and served as an Army Sergeant in World War II from 1943 to 1946. He was owner/partner of insurance company Fishering and Marker, Inc., later known as Fishering and Sult, Inc. An accomplished and devoted student of life, Dick had a lifelong career in, and love for, politics. He served four consecutive terms in the Indiana House of Representatives; 1951, 1953, 1955, and 1957 as the representative from Allen County, and lost his bid for Mayor of Fort Wayne in 1959. He was past president of Allen County Young Republicans, a precinct committeeman, and the Fort Wayne Republican Chairman from 1961 to 1967. He then served as Allen County Republican Assistant Chairman in 1967. He was also a Freemason, Past Commander and longtime Quartermaster for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9500, Rotary, Moose, Fort Wayne Press Club, Allen County Council of Veterans, and Jaycees. He also served as a delegate for presidents, Hoover, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan. In 1980, he was awarded the state's highest honor to be bestowed on its citizens; The Sagamore of the Wabash. An avid traveler, he imparted his love and curiosity for the world to his family, as well as travelling often with friends. He was a sharp dresser, unless he was in his favorite place, the Virgin Islands. 'Dickie', as his friends called him, was an opinionated expresser of his beliefs. His wonderfully dry sense of humor spared few, but was always delivered in kindness, and usually at a moment of extreme seriousness. He was a picky eater, eschewing cooked vegetables and cheese as abominations. He knew that tea bags should be reused at least twice, and that his incredible gardening skills worked better with a martini. After his family, his greatest love was antique cars. (Anything up to 50 years ago was just "old".) He was a volunteer docent at the Auburn Cord Deusenberg Museum from 2000 to 2008. During his lifetime he owned many cars, a 1935 Auburn, 1931 Packard Limousine, 1974 Barracuda and even an AMC Pacer Wagon. "He lived his life on his own terms. There was never a dull moment with him. In Lieu of sorrow, express your love and happiness. Smile when people you care about enter the room as Dick always did." He is survived by his beloved daughter, Lisa (Fishering) Osmon; and his truly cherished granddaughter, Meret V. Duvall; and sisters, Nancy (Philip) Wehrenberg and Suzanne (William) Carl. He was preceded in death by his adored wife, Kathleen (Koenemann) Fishering in 1999, whom he married on Valentine's Day 1956; and brother, George W. Fishering II in 2008. A brief memorial service is 11 a.m. Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Trinity English Lutheran Church, 450 West Washington Blvd., Fort Wayne, (IN 46802). A Larger celebration of Richard's life is to be held this spring at the Auburn Cord Deusenberg Museum. Date to be announced. Preferred memorials to either the church or Auburn Cord Deusenberg Automobile Museum, P. O. Box 271, Auburn, IN 46706.