Carolyn Shirley Fisher

She was born Aug. 28, 1931 to James and Martha Smith and grew up in Hoquiam, WA, where she was graduated from Hoquiam High School in 1949. She attended Grays Harbor College and worked in Olympia for a time with the state government.

She married Wallace Clyde Fisher, who at that time was in the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Lewis, on Jan. 1, 1952 in Olympia, before he was assigned to overseas duty in Germany. After his return and discharge, they purchased a house in Olympia where they lived for the next 65 years and raised three sons. Carolyn is survived by her sons — Wally II (Teresa), of the Nisqually Valley; Bryan (Jodi), who lives in West Virginia and Dan, a resident of Chehalis and news editor of The Tenino Independent/Rochester Sun News. She is also survived by three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Wally in 2019, and by a daughter, Merry Carol, who died at birth in 1966. She was the youngest of five children and was also preceded in death by brothers William Smith, Daniel Smith, and James Smith, and a sister, Mildred (Smith) Putnam.

After the last of her children entered school, she began working as a grade-school librarian in the Olympia School District. Six years later she served in the same capacity at Reeves Junior High for three years before transferring to the newly-built Capital High School, where she continued to serve as a librarian until her retirement. She worked as an unpaid volunteer at CHS when Wallace was elected to the Olympia School Board, and was awarded back pay for that work after his term as director ended.

She was a caring and dedicated wife and mother and lover of cats, and enjoyed cooking, baking (she was famous for her apple pies and cookies) and spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gifted with a positive outlook, an active sense of humor and a naturally sunny disposition, she quickly became a favorite everywhere she went. She will be deeply missed by her family and by so many others whose lives she touched during her long life.