John Gilbert Fischer

John Gilbert Fischer, age 37, of Tucson Arizona passed from this life on Thursday, March 27, 2014. He was the precious son of John and Jeanne Fischer of North Pole, born on May 26, 1976 in Fairbanks. John attended Fairbanks schools and graduated from North Pole High School in 1994.

He furthered his education at the University of Alaska, graduating in 2001 with a B. A. in Psychology and later a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Phoenix campus in Sacramento in 2005. John married Stephanie Russo in 2004 and they soon moved to Tucson, Arizona, where John served as a therapist for Providence Service Corporation. Although his marriage to Stephanie ended in 2010, they remained friends.

As a young child growing up in Alaska, John loved exploring the great outdoors, throwing rocks and “falling” into creeks on family camping adventures. Always one for tradition, he wanted the same camp spots year after year, and to stop at the same stores for treats along the way. During every phase of his life, John had a faithful cat buddy at his side. Christmas stockings, filled with random small gifts, were absolute favorite holiday traditions, even after moving away from home, with eager anticipation for one received in the mail. John grew up learning about the love of Jesus and was a baptized believer as a teen.

As a young adult, he greatly enjoyed a shoulder-to-shoulder relationship with his Dad, doing the manly tasks of cabin construction, roofing or building a fence and sharing in the unique Fischer family sense of humor. Having learned to cook skillfully when he was very young, John loved cooking and swapping recipes with his Mom. He proudly proclaimed to friends that he was unashamedly a “mama’s boy” who called home to chat every few days. A deeply caring brother to his sister Kristi, who loved her big younger brother, John had great empathy for people with life challenges.

Friends have described John as a gifted, caring listener who always seemed to have just the right response when someone was hurting. Colleagues knew John to be both professional and personal, with an acute ability for perception in any given situation. As a father during his last two years of life, he adored his children, Mason and Ava, from his relationship with Katy Childress.

When John was in his best health, he developed a passion for fitness, riding like the wind in Arizona cycling races and later embracing running as his sport. He loved the freedom of riding or running every morning of the year in the warm Tucson climate. John proudly wore his Alaska cycling jersey, Alaska Grown shirts and UAF hats, loving the conversations sparked with Arizonans eager to ask about life in the 49th state.

John is survived by his parents, his sister Kristi, by Katy Childress and his children Mason Clifford and Ava Elizabeth, grandmother Thelma Fischer, many aunts, uncles and cousins. A memorial service is being planned at Farewell Avenue Christian church, 100 Farewell Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska, to be held on April 26 at 2:00 p.m.