Lee I. Robert Fisher

Pequot Lakes, Minn., and Fort Myers Beach, Fla. – Lee I. Robert Fisher (Lee), 88, of Pequot Lakes and Fort Myers Beach passed away on October 27, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd, Minn.

Lee was born on Oct, 11, 1935, in Ackley, Iowa, the son of Joe and Amelia (Seimers) Fisher. He was married in 1960 to his first wife D. Evonne Welp (Schroeder). He was married to Lynn D. Fisher (Olsen) in 1995.

Lee valued living each day to its fullest. He was deeply devoted in these efforts, whether he was providing for his family, teasing his great grandchildren, fishing 50 different lakes in a summer, growing dahlias, orchids, and berries to share, feeding the deer, putting out a nest for loons, admiring a beautiful sunset, tending his yard, collecting shells on the beach, traveling abroad with Lynn, bartering at the farmer’s market, frying fish, or trying to beat the slot machines at the casino which he fondly called “church.” Lee would strike up a conversation with almost anyone. His endearing nature will be greatly missed.

Above all else, Lee spent his life in service of others. As a child, Lee learned a strong work ethic helping his parents on the farm. After the death of his father at age 19, he helped his mom run the farm. Lee earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in audiology and speech-language pathology in from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He spent more than 20 years in these helping professions. In Cedar Rapids he managed a multi-county program serving over 90 deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their parents, and supervised hearing testing of as many as 42,000 school children’s hearing per year. Lee also worked for Public Health providing audiology services to Native Americans living on reservations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. For his outstanding professional contributions in audiology, Lee was awarded a Fellow by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). Lee had a twinkle in his eye and a contagious smile whenever using sign language to communicate with a deaf or hard-of-hearing child.

In the early 1980s, he launched Lee Fisher Sales. With his fishing boat in tow, Lee started selling Northland Fishing Tackle while he was working as an audiologist. Eventually, Lee became the national sales manager for Northland Fishing Tackle, which he continued until 2006 while also operating Lee Fisher Sales until the end of his life. Building positive relationships was the foundation of his business. His business partner was his devoted wife Lynn. He sought products that would “sell themselves” such as fishing tackle, bait tanks, sunglasses, and jewelry. Lee received numerous awards in recognition of his sales and service from the companies and distributors he represented. Lee’s generosity of spirit, his love of people, and his passion for his trade made him a loved and respected salesman for owners and buyers of hundreds of sporting goods stores across the United States.

Lee showed remarkable integrity, stamina, and resiliency in his seven-year battle with colon cancer while continuing to work in service of his customers and his family.

He is survived by his former wife Evonne, his wife Lynn, children, Larry (Teri), Andy (Courtney), and Joy (Tom), step children Teri (Antonio), Ron (Joann), and Soni, grandchildren TJ (Brooke), Dan, Chase, Anne, Tony, Maria (Ely), Natasha, Amy (Roland), Riley, Madison (Mark), and Andrew and great grandchildren Juliano, Camila, Amira, Sid, Adalyn, Caleb, Carter, and Julian, his sister Shirley Sadler; other relatives and many close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Amelia (Siemers) and Joe Fisher; his brothers and their wives Harold and Elaine Fisher and Marvin and Doris Fisher; his sister and her husband Lois and John Frerichs, and his brother-in-law Tom Sadler.

In keeping with Lee’s wishes, he will have two Celebrations of Life; one in Fort Myers Beach in January of 2024 and another in Brainerd in the summer of 2024. Details will be posted on www.nelson-doran.com For the Celebration of Life in Brainerd, please send flowers and/or memorial gifts to c/o Lynn Fisher at Nelson Doran Funeral Home 202 8th Avenue NE Brainerd, MN 56401.

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