Dr. Elizabeth Ann Fisher

Dr. Elizabeth Ann Fisher, 81, of Washington DC, passed away on June 11, 2026 at Sibley Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. She was born October 25, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to George Lee Fisher and Karleen (Fawcett) Fisher. Upon the passing of both of her parents as a teenager, she joined the family of her aunt and uncle, William L. Fawcett and Mary Lee Fawcett in Gary, Indiana.

Elizabeth graduated as Valedictorian of her class at Horace Mann High School in Gary and went on to attend Northwestern University graduating with a B.A. degree with Honors as Valedictorian of the College of Arts & Sciences. She continued her education at Harvard University earning an M.A. and Ph. D in Classical Philology.

Upon completion of her studies at Harvard, she taught at George Washington University in Washington D. C. until her retirement where she was a Professor in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations serving as Chairman of the Department for sixteen years. She was awarded fellowships to study at The Center for Hellenic Studies and Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, and she has published a multitude of scholarly articles related to her field of expertise. She held the rank of full professor until, upon her retirement was raised to Professor Emerita.

Dr. Fisher enjoyed life in Washington D.C. because of “all the interesting people and institutions.” She was devoted to her African Grey Parrot, “Tully,” who is surviving. She cherished her memories of travels with her late husband, Robert, to Middle Eastern countries related to her areas of interest. She also fondly remembered her summertime visits during her father’s lifetime when she, her father and her cousin, Bill, visited her father’s cabin on Lake Vermilion in Northern Minnesota or their visits to a fishing camp in Canada at Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Dr. Fisher is survived by her devoted partner of twenty years, Dr. Denis Sullivan of Bethesda, Maryland; cousins William A. Fawcett (Pamela) of Bloomington, Indiana, and Judith K. Moss, widow of Stephen Moss, of Spring, Texas; brother-in-law, John A. Hadley (Rose-Anne) of Kingston, Rhode Island; cousins, Cindy Albrecht of Hopkins, MN; Carol Albrecht Keintz of Gig Harbor, WA; Alan Albrecht of Hopkins, MN; and Dale E. Yale (Glenn) of Naples, Maine.

Dr. Fisher was predeceased by her parents, her aunt and uncle, and her husband, Dr. Robert A. Hadley.

Elizabeth was a kind and caring person who will be deeply missed by all those who had an opportunity to know her.

She was an active member of St. Albans Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. adjacent to the Washington National Cathedral. A funeral service will be held at the Church, 3001 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20016, at 11:00 a.m. on June 29, 2026. For those who are unable to attend in person, the service will be available online at the Church’s website. Elizabeth will be laid to rest at St. Albans. A Celebration of Life event will be held later.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Saint Alban’s WSA Fund, a community outreach fund.