Caryln Ross Fisher

Ross and his twin sister, Carlene, were born on July 30, 1929, to Lyle C. Fisher and Etta Mae Clark in Hollywood, CA. Owing to family separation the children lived on their grandparents’ farm outside of West Lafayette for much of their early youth. Lyle and Etta Mae reconciled and resettled in West Lafayette, IN and in 1939 they added another son, David, to the family. At a young age, Ross and Carlene modeled on the farm for photos of twins interacting with dogs and farm animals.

In 1943 Lyle, who held an EE degree from Purdue, was recruited to work with the University of California, Division of War Research at the Navy Electronics Lab on Point Loma to work on the development of FM Sonar to allow sensing of submarines. In 1944 the family purchased a home on Point Loma and moved to San Diego.

Ross landed a paper route when they got to San Diego. He said it was the longest paper route in San Diego. It extended from Ocean Beach to Rosecrans Street.

Ross attended Point Loma High School, graduating in 1948. While attending high school, he enjoyed the beaches of Ocean Beach and Mission Beach. He would also ride a kayak around the wetlands of what would later become Mission Bay. Other than for a short time in the Navy, Ross lived in and around San Diego County for the next 80 years.

Ross enrolled and started attending San Diego City College. One day he was at Old Mission Beach, and he ran into a friend that had three girls with him: one of them being Peggy Louise Madison. Ross had $.35 in his pocket, and he bought her a hamburger there on the boardwalk. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Ross received a draft notice for the Korean War, and he had to make a decision to either join the Navy or get drafted. So, in 1950, he joined the Navy and went through boot camp in San Diego.

He and Peggy married on June 24, 1951, at the Chapel of the Roses in Chula Vista.

They initially lived in Vallejo, California while Ross was serving in the Navy at Treasure Island. His next duty station was in Honolulu in a top-secret position repairing cryptography electronics. After Ross left the Navy, they returned to San Diego and lived in North Park until 1960 when they moved to a new development at the northern most reaches of San Diego: Clairemont.

They had two boys, Richard (Rick) Ross Fisher and David Gordon Fisher. They all, including Ross, participated in Balboa Little League.

Eventually, the family moved to Scripps Ranch. Rick finished his time at Madison High and David attended Mira Mesa High.

In 1978, Ross and Peggy divorced, and Ross fell in love with Judith Ann Shaffer. They eventually moved to Cardiff, California, marrying in 1990, and spent the rest of Ross’s 94 years together.

After his retirement, Ross and Judi returned to live in Muncie until his death.

Ross was a generous, kind, and loving man. Almost all that met him liked him, all that knew him personally, loved him.

In 1963, Ross had a psychological evaluation for some potential investors. It concluded that “his over-all intellectual functioning is superior. He thinks and learns very quickly. He is however, an engineer through and through.” This evaluation foretold his future success.

He was a successful entrepreneur, starting a company, Continental Controls Corporation (CCC), in 1969. CCC grew and prospered until 1979 when it was purchased by Allied Signal.

Ross was an ingenious engineer, creating a variety of gas turbine control products and fuel valves that have lasted decades. The psychological evaluation from years prior became very prophetic: His lifelong passion was conceiving and developing innovative products, not motivated by their financial gains, but by the creation process itself.

In 1979, Allied decided to sell Continental Controls Corp and Ross was able to buy back the name, logo and certain products that he had originally developed. CCC reincorporated with Ross as the President. In 1992, Ross hired his youngest son, David, to work with him as a Product Design Engineer.

The company began to grow again with the addition of a line of electromechanically actuated, intelligent fuel control valves for gas turbine engines.

Then in 1997 his older son, Richard, also joined the CCC team.

CCC continued to grow into a very accomplished natural gas fuel control company. Designing and producing some products for fast and efficient control of gas turbines, and some for emission-reducing valves to allow natural gas engines to run very clean with ultra-low emissions.

Ross’s employees excelled under his leadership, if for no other reason than to make Ross happy. He continued coming into the office and contributing to product development at CCC even after his 90th birthday.

Ross is survived by his wife, Judith; his brother, David L.; his son, Richard (Leigh Hamilton) and granddaughters: Alison Fisher, and Jacqueline (Jose) Lopez; his son, David (Valerie Monnier) and grandchildren: Jessica Fisher (Amy Jasper), Andrew Fisher (Rachel Pitts) and Aaron Fisher (Maritza Paz); his step-son, Ronald; step-daughter, Suzanne (Dennie) Yeakle and step-granddaughter, Alivia Yeakle; his step-daughter, Sherry Payne (Scott McCune) and step-grandchildren: Dustin (Emily) Payne, and Stephanie (Josh) Weaver. He also is survived by 12 great grandchildren, his niece and nephews, and their families.

Services for Ross in San Diego will be at El Camino Memorial Park on Wednesday, November 29, at 10:00 am. His family would love to hear your stories or fond memories at this service, and there will be time at the end to share them. Immediately following will be a graveside service.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may also be shared at www.sorrentovalleychapel.com