Thomas Francis Fisher

Thomas Francis Fisher, 80, of Leawood, Kansas, and most recently Prairie Village, Kansas, passed away on October 29, 2023, while sleeping in his bed. His celebration of life will take place from 3:00-5:00 pm, on Sunday, November 5, at Indian Hills Country Club, 6847 Tomahawk Road, Mission Hills, Kansas 66208.

Thomas Fisher—known to family and friends as Tom—was born on February 8, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the second of six children born to Harold and Wilma Fisher. He was a proud and supportive alumnus of Rockhurst High School, Rockhurst College, and the University of Missouri School of Law. Among other things, Tom was a member of Rockhurst College’s men’s basketball team that, in 1964, won the NAIA championship.

In 1967, Tom married the love of his life, Susan Ann Fisher (formerly Winterhoff). The couple briefly lived in California, while Tom served in the U.S. Navy. They then settled permanently in the Kansas City area. After a stint in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, Tom joined the law firm of Shughart, Thomson, & Kilroy, where he became a well-respected trial lawyer and helped grow the firm to what it is today. His approach to the practice of law was grounded in integrity and hard work. He also served for many years as chair of the firm’s hiring committee, and no doubt many of the firm’s current lawyers can attest to his excellent judgment in recruiting them.

Tom cherished and prioritized his time with his family and close friends. He frequently visited his kids and grandkids in California, and he loved sharing stories with his siblings and longtime friends over a meal or a cocktail. He adored old movies, played basketball, tennis, and golf for much of his life, and had a passion for fishing—in the Ozarks, a family retreat in Northern Michigan, and countless other places. If water was nearby and a guide was available, chances were Tom found a way to wet a line. In his youth, Tom worked as a caddy and was a diligent student in the Kansas City parochial schools. Throughout his life, he had a deep concern for the wellbeing of those closest to him and set an example of fairness and open-mindedness—even if he might also occasionally have had strong opinions of his own.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his wife. He is survived by his brothers Daniel (Dan) Fisher, of Peculiar, Missouri; Andrew (Andy) Fisher, of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; John (Jack) Fisher, of Overland Park, Kansas; and James (Jim) Fisher, of Prairie Village, Kansas, as well as his sister Kathleen (Kathy) Mulvey, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; his children Jeffrey (Jeff) Fisher, of Menlo Park, California, and Amy Garcia of Sonoma, California; and four grandchildren: Eleanor Fisher, Charlotte Fisher, Maya Garcia, and Miles Garcia.

In lieu of donations, the family suggests a donation to the Nature Conservancy, https://preserve.nature.org/page/80429/donate/1, or the Rockhurst University Men’s Basketball Program, Attn: Brent Blacek,1100 Rockhurst Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64110.