Marshall Schoff Fish

“Born in the forenoon of November 16th, 1940” as written in the diary of his grandfather, Perley Ray Schoff, Marshall enjoyed growing up in Pittsburg, New Hampshire with parents, Delma and Bernice, two older sisters, Sandra and Rosalie and two younger brothers, Jarvis and Blaine.

Marshall attended The Pittsburg School through grade 12, graduating in 1959 in what was until then, the largest class to date, 17 students.

The years following graduation, he would jokingly refer to as his college education at the “school of hard knocks”. During this time, he worked many jobs driving trucks and operating equipment for Robert “Tubby” Gray, Edwin “Dellie” Robie and Bernard Howland and always spoke of them fondly.

In 1961, he married Jane Masters, also a Pittsburg native. They welcomed their first child, Tia, the next year. In 1963 they moved to Gardena, California where Marshall found work as a precious metal Plater. Ten years later, the family would settle in Agoura Hills, California, following the birth of their son, Peter, in 1972.

Marshall worked at Burton Plating Service, for 19 years, until 1982 when he joined Electronic Plating Service. Always a perfectionist, he was described by his employees and co-workers as “the best Plater in Southern California”. In 2002, he retired as a Journeyman Electroplater.

In retirement, he gladly took on caring for grandchildren and even returned to work part-time at Hilton owned Hampton Inns as a maintenance worker.

Marshall loved NASCAR, attending races in Loudon, NH; Daytona, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV and most frequently Fontana, California. He also adored shooting and motorcycle riding in the Mojave Desert with family and friends. He was an accomplished target shooter at distances up to 500 yards and relished re-loading his own ammunition.

Above all, Marshall loved spending time with his family. Some favorites were weekend trips to Las Vegas with Jane, family vacations, reading The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve, even once, over the phone. He also enjoyed soccer, lacrosse, football, basketball games, school programs, and awards assemblies for grandchildren, James (aka Jimmy Joe Kasnagio), Jessica (aka Joocie) and Wyeth (aka Fezziwig).

An avid reader, his favorite subject was World War II. He was also a talented wood worker, carpenter and welder, everyone’s favorite handy man. Each Christmas he put up red lights in the shape of a fish in the backyard, visible to all travelling U.S. Highway 101 through Agoura Hills, CA to enjoy.

With a love of music, a song for every occasion, an uncanny memory for naughty phrases and stories and a limitless ability to bestow nicknames on everyone he knew, he is dearly missed.

Marshall is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 60 years and caregiver since 2015, Jane of Agoura Hills, CA; daughter, Tia Clarke (husband Jack, son Wyeth) of Newbury Park, CA; son, Peter (wife Tracy, children James and Jessica) of Thousand Oaks, CA; brother-in-law, Clarence Bourassa; sister, Rosalie Hawes (husband Bruce); brother, Jarvis (wife Carlene); brother, Blaine (wife Sherry); sister-in-law Patricia Gendron (husband Phil); brother-in-law Ray Masters, all of New Hampshire and many nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at 11:00 on June 18th, 2022 at Farnham Memorial United Methodist Church, after which he will be laid to rest in Indian Stream Cemetery in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. All are welcome. Gifts in memory of Marshall Fish may be made to the Pittsburg Historical Society, 1526 Main St. Pittsburg, NH 03592.