Lynn Fish

Lynn Elden Fish passed away into our Lord's waiting arms on June 27, 2012 at the age of 93 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. He was born on July 26, 1918 in Kirksville, Mo. He was predeceased by his parents Walter E. Fish and Idabelle (Shoop) Fish, sisters Nelle V. Franz-Ziebold and Calla Kroehle-Wandling, brother Glenn Fish, half-brothers Victor Tolman and Ervin Gale Fish. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Doris Marie Fish. Also surviving are his four children Stephen (Pimpun) Fish, Barbara Stott, Shirley Stuckey, and Carolyn ( Melvin) Mittlestat; his nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

His mother died when he was 6 years old. His maternal grandparents raised the children on their farm. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps more than a year before WWII started. He served in Atlantic City, NJ; Goldsboro, N.C.; India; and China; and honorably discharged as a staff sergeant in 1945. After the war, he worked at the VA in St. Louis, Mo, while attending night school, after completing went on to work as a certified auto mechanic. Later, he moved his family to Venice, CA, where he started a full service laundry business. In 1965, he moved to Thousand Oaks, CA, and later sold his business in Venice in 1967. Then he became an insurance salesman and later became a Ford auto mechanic. He was a member of the T.O. Bachelor and Bachelorettes square dancers, the United Methodist Church of T.O., and Post 11395 Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a resident of Thousand Oaks for 47 years.

We remember him as a warm, kind, and sweet human being. He taught us his outlook on life, which was formed by farm-raised religious and work values, depression era frugalities, 3rd world exposure during the war, and people he worked with. He cared about people on the inside—not letting a stranger’s appearance, infirmities, deformities, race, or anything else get in the way of a friendly conversation. He was a wiz when it came to fixing things, especially if he didn’t have the proper tool, he ingeniously improvised another tool to do the job, or he just made a new tool. He helped define “the Greatest Generation”.

If desired, in lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Lynn's name to the Alzheimer's Association or the Eric Hubert Post VFW at 805-493-0901.