Nelson A. Fisher

Nelson Augustus Fisher died peacefully in Houston on Friday, the 8th of December 2023, at the age of 85. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on the 12th of May 1938, and moved to Houston with his family in 1941 always saying that “he got to Texas as soon as he could.” Nelson grew up in the Northside area of Houston attending Robert E. Lee Elementary, Marshall Jr. High, and Jefferson Davis High School. He developed an early love of classical music and witnessed the birth of rock and roll enjoying artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Bo Diddley.

He attended the University of Houston where he joined Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Sigma Chi experience was very meaningful to Nelson where he was introduced to his best life-long friends. Nelson was a big fan of U of H sports, especially football and basketball.

In 1958, a fateful event happened to Nelson when he was set up on a blind date with Nancy Wright of Houston, Texas. Nelson took Nancy to see the musical “Damn Yankees” not knowing that she had seen the same musical the night before with another date. Fortunately, Nancy preferred Nelson’s company and they married on the 23rd of September 1961.

In 1963, Nelson and Nancy moved to the Memorial neighborhood where they would raise their sons Jeff and David. The Fisher family lived on Pebblebrook Drive for 60 years where they shared so many happy memories with the loving families that lived on their block.

As a long-time Houstonian, Nelson was a huge fan of some of Houston’s early restaurants: Felix, Khaphan’s, Valian’s, James Coney Island, Barbecue Inn, Pino’s, and The Confederate House where he would often eat gumbo on Fridays (his favorite food). He became deeply saddened when any of these classic Houston establishments closed down.

Nelson spent his career in commercial banking, industrial distribution, and then owning his own company, Texas Windows & Doors, where he helped families in West Houston with their remodeling needs for many years. He had a unique set of skills that served him well throughout his life. Nelson was a wonderful artist and used this gift to help his sons win student elections by creating top quality graphics for campaign posters. Nelson loved to take each of his grandchildren to Texas Art Supply to introduce them to the creative world of art he loved.

He was a gifted athlete. At the Memorial Forest Club, you could find Nelson playing doubles tennis on Saturdays and volleyball on Sundays with his friends. He could throw a football in excess of 60 yards to the amazement of all the young kids in the neighborhood. Nelson was a recreational tomato farmer and probably set yield records each year for the number of tomatoes that could be grown in a suburban Houston backyard. After a thirty-year effort, he finally succeeded in getting grass to grow under his live oak tree. He was an amateur historian and genealogist with a particular love of Texas history.

Nelson was very patriotic and had a deep love for our nation. He served in the U. S. Army from 1960 to 1966. Locally, he was proud to serve two terms on the Harris County Grand Jury. He was a very effective grass-roots promoter of aspiring local individuals seeking elected office. He helped many get elected and his sample ballots were highly sought after within his network.

Nelson was a member of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church for over 50 years where he volunteered in many capacities. He served on the Board of Directors of Holy Spirit School in its early years.

There is no activity Nelson enjoyed more than being together with his entire family and all his grandchildren. Whether the setting was for holiday gatherings or beach houses in summer, this is where he was the happiest. He promoted family sing-alongs and quizzed his grandkids about Texas history. He also used these times to display his amazingly gifted sense of dry humor by throwing out a perfectly timed “one-liner.”

Nelson is predeceased by his father, Jack Brafford Fisher, Sr., his mother, Louise Elizabeth Fisher; and his brother, Jack Brafford Fisher, Jr. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Nancy Wright Fisher; his sons, The Right Reverend Jeff Wright Fisher and his wife Susan, and son, David Nelson Fisher and his wife Amanda. He is also survived by his adored grandchildren, Scott Stephenson Fisher, John Wright Fisher, Elizabeth Wright Fisher, and Vivian Margaret Fisher.

The funeral service is to be conducted at ten o'clock in the morning on Friday, the 15th of December, at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 12535 Perthshire Road in Houston, with The Rev. John Pitts celebrating and The Rev. William Fowler preaching.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family and share remembrances during a reception in the nearby Palmer Hall.

The interment will follow, via escorted cortege, at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Mr. Fisher’s name be directed to the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, 12535 Perthshire Rd., Houston, TX, 77024, or online at www.holyspirithouston.org ; or to American Festival for the Arts, 241 N. Milby St., Suite B, Houston, TX, 77003 or at www.afatexas.org .

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