Frank Beatty Fishburne, Jr.

Francis “Frank” Beatty Fishburne Jr.,77, of Asheville, died Thursday in a local hospital surrounded by his 3 loving daughters. Frank was born January 22, 1941, in Asheville, NC, the first child born to Francis Beatty and Mary Alice Fishburne. He was a 1958 graduate of Lee Edwards High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University in 1962 and is a graduate of the New York Institute of Finance and The Securities Industry Institute at The Wharton School of Business through the University of Pennsylvania. An accomplished athlete, Frank became the number one tennis player at both Mars Hill University and Wake Forest University. During his business career, Frank spent 5 successful years with IBM in North Carolina and Washington DC. After leaving IBM, he returned to Asheville to work in the family business, Fishburne Equipment Co, a manufacturer of hydraulic machinery for the tobacco and brick industries. He entered the securities business with Reynolds and Company in 1970 which led to decades of success as a stockbroker, branch manager and financial advisor for McCarley and Company, Interstate Securities, and Morgan Stanley. Mr. Fishburne was very involved in local civic roles and activities, including serving as President of both the Waynesville Rotary Club and the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the Salvation Army’s Mountain Mission; Chairman of the Haywood Community College Foundation; Chairman of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority; Chairman of the Asheville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. He was a board member of The Pisgah Girl Scout Council and Camp Hope and was a Vice-President of the Haywood County United Way. Frank was also appointed by then Governor Jim Martin to the State Employees Health Benefits Board for two terms. His proudest civic service role was serving on the Board of Directors for the Pack Square Conservancy. Frank is survived by two siblings, Carolyn Fishburne Weisbecker and Willard B. Fishburne both of Asheville and was preceded in death by his beloved sister Jayne VanLaurel. He was loved dearly by his three children, Deborah Nolen and Tricia Coppedge of Raleigh, NC and Cara Mills of Atlanta, GA. Frank was blessed with five grandchildren whom he loved very much: Jim, Cooper, Bella, Lucy, and Wade. Services will be at 2:00pm Sunday at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian, 72 Long Shoals Road in Arden. Pastor Curt McClure will be officiating. A private burial will be in the family plot at Green Hills Cemetery.