Obituary of Betty J. Fisher

Betty Jean Fisher, age 95, passed away August 26, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. Betty was born August 5, 1926, in South Beloit, Illinois, the daughter of Theodore and Bethel (Hodge) Miller. Betty was one of a kind. She was sharp-witted, kind-hearted, loving, and so talented. Such a character too. The natural world fascinated her. She loved being in nature, either hiking, gardening or just finding artistic inspiration. Betty enjoyed working out, and hiked well into her 80’s. In fact, she hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon six times! She was fascinated with learning and this curiosity introduced her to many new hobbies. Betty loved antiquing, sewing, DIY projects, reading everything and anything, and learning about Native American culture during her retirement. She was just a fun person to be around. Betty spent most of her life living in Rockford, Illinois, where her family moved to when she was very young. She graduated from Rockford East High School in 1944. Though she had the talent, she was unable to pursue her dream of going to college to become a clothes designer due to family finances and WWII. When her childhood sweetheart, Dorian Fisher, returned from serving in the Navy in the war, they later eloped on Valentine’s Day in 1947. After a life of raising her children and volunteering, she surprised everyone by deciding to go to Rock Valley College to pursue a degree to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. She then worked 20 years as a Respiratory Therapist at St Anthony hospital, including serving as a member of the helicopter flight trauma team. She loved her work, and her co-workers, mostly years younger, loved her like their mother. After retiring in 1994, she spent time enjoying her homes in Wisconsin and Arizona. Above all, family was her life. She loved and cherished her husband Dorian, her children, grandchildren, siblings and parents more than they could ever know. Dorian was her partner in life for more than 65 years. She had an incredibly positive outlook on life, uplifting spirit, and her legacy will be carried on by her family and friends. She will truly be missed. Surviving Betty are her children, Linda (James) Johansen, Rory (Nadine) Fisher and Ross (Karen) Fisher; grandchildren, Aidan Fisher, Carson Fisher, Pamela Olsen and Kevin (Michelle) Olsen; great grandchildren, Kaitlyn Holt, Amber Holt, Scott Olsen, Andrew Olsen and Mary Olsen. Sadly, Betty is preceded in death by her husband, Dorian L. Fisher; grandson, Aaron A. Fisher; siblings, Beverly Mackey and John Miller; and parents, Theodore and Bethel. A simple cremation has been arranged for Betty in accordance with her wishes. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at a later date in Rockford, Illinois. Service details will be published when they become available. Memorial contributions in Betty’s memory are suggested to The Alzheimer’s Association.