Susan Kay Fisher, 56, died Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at her home in northeast Harrisburg after a good fight with dementia. Born with Down Syndrome, Susan lived a very complete life on her own terms and the family thanks the Lord for entrusting her to them for more than 56 years. When Susan was born JUNE 18, 1961, the life expectancy of a Down Syndrome child was only 30. She defied expectations (and occasionally her parents and siblings) and the world was blessed with an extra 26 years of her laughter and smile and a million hilarious stories.
Susan filled others’ lives, too, with her authenticity, feistiness, kindness and humor. Small in stature, but mighty in spirit, her departure leaves a huge void in the world she inhabited. She brightened the lives of many in Central and Western Pennsylvania and her obituary is offered here in that fashion.
Susan was a graduate of the Camp Hill Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) and a former employee of the Center for Industrial Training (CIT) in Mechanicsburg. She won a dozen swimming medals at Special Olympics events over the years. During her residence at Keystone Services, she was a volunteer at the Olewine Library in Harrisburg and the Jewish Home in Linglestown.
Susan lived and enjoyed life to its fullest. She was a skilled latch-hook crafter who loved animals, dancing, music, and the movie Ghostbusters. She enjoyed word-search puzzles and solved them with a vast ink pen collection—many of which were permanently borrowed from unsuspecting donors. She was a connoisseur of strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, and all kinds of food. In fact, she had such a life-long passion for food that her beloved Aunt Joanne said that “God better have a meal ready”.
Susan is survived by: her sister, Evalyn Fisher of Harrisburg and her long-time companion, Michael Sharon of Philadelphia; her niece and great-nieces Tiffany (Nelson), Melanie and Sophia Climent of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; her beloved Aunt Joanne Puskarich and Uncle Terry Griffin of Washington, Pennsylvania; sister-in-law Carolyn (John) Bacon of Selbyville, Delaware; her roommates at Keystone Residence Laura and Deena; her dear-friends-like-sisters Randy Ashenfelder of Mechanicsburg and Cathy Mackrovich of Lock Haven; dozens of cousins in western Pennsylvania; and, dozens more friends and close acquaintances. She was preceded in death by her parents Carl and Helen Fisher of Camp Hill and her brothers Carl Jr. and Thomas of Etters.
The family thanks the Keystone Services staff and the staff at 2135 Sycamore Drive for their life-long commitment to Susan and her care. Words cannot express the peace and comfort provided by them and the kind and loving people of the Hospice of Central Pennsylvania. Donations in Susan’s name will be gratefully accepted by the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.
Services will be private.
Kind is our love today, tomorrow kind,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence,
Therefore our verse to constancy confined,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.
“Fair, kind and true” is all our argument,
“Fair, kind and true” varying to other words,
And in this change is our invention spent,
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.
“Fair, kind, and true” have often lived alone,
Which three till now never kept seat in one.
~William Shakespeare
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