Henry Coleman Fisher, III

Henry Coleman Fisher, III, 61, of Asheville, died on Sunday, August 5, 2018. A lifelong resident of Buncombe Co., Henry was the son of Lee Crawford Fisher and the late Henry Coleman “Nick” Fisher, Jr. He was the owner of Nik-Pik Market and Deli, and also was the property manager for Fisher Farm, LLC. In addition to his mother, Henry is survived by his wife, Diana Curtis Fisher; daughters, Jennie Fisher Voynich (Mike) and April Fisher-Alexander (Lori Bailey-Austin); sons, Alex Coleman Fisher (Kari) and David Redmon (Jamie); 16 grandchildren; and sisters, Linda Fisher Poss (Wes Sharpe), and Carmen Fisher Murray (Michael). A gentle giant with a heart of gold, Henry was just like his father in that he was the first to come to the aid of people in need. His heart led him to support hardworking people who just needed to catch a break or someone to believe in them. He was the Dad that everyone wanted; full of high expectations, quick to let you know when you messed up, and even quicker to let you know how much he loved you despite your imperfections. Not only was Henry a mentor, role-model, coach, confidant, hero, superman, and teddy-bear to his own children, he stepped into these shoes for countless others who needed a father figure in their lives as well. Henry was a lover of animals, and they all loved him right back. Birds, deer, rabbits and squirrels all knew they could safely visit Henry’s backyard where a grand feast would be waiting for them. His heart would swell with pride when his deer would come visit with their fawns, and he made sure to snap a picture and brag about it to anyone who would listen. His Boston Terriers, Lacey, Fancy and Popeye received royal treatment and according to Henry, they were obviously the smartest dogs that ever lived. He bragged on their many tricks, but his favorite was the fact that were capable of opening doors. At a very young age, Henry was introduced to the sport of Motocross by his friend Steve Mendenhall. They both became professional motocross racers. At the age of 18, he was given the choice to continue Motocross or to attend college. The next Fall, he was enrolled as a Freshman at Appalachian State University. Henry was a very intelligent man. He had no problem making sure you were aware that he was the “smartest person you knew” and that “while he may not be 100% right he would never be completely wrong.” As much as he liked to tell you things, he liked to listen, observe, and soak it all in. While the big moments mattered to Henry, the small moments seem to be the ones that stuck with him the most. Henry remembered the details in those moments, in those memories, that the rest of us seem to forget. Anyone who needed a good laugh, knew that Henry was just the one to crack them up. He knew more jokes than any other person around, and while he may tell you one that he had told you before, he would have plenty of knew ones to follow. He was personally acquainted with the “Suck Beast” who spent half of his time at Lake James and half of his time living in the upstairs section at the Fish House on Patton Avenue. Eating your food was a must, especially if it was “stupid good,” and once Henry gave you the “YO!” signal to listen up to what he had to say, you knew you were in good with him for a lifetime. He told the best LONG stories, and always ended them with “so long story short” and the moral he wanted you to take away. Family was the most important thing in the world to Henry, and he made sure that they all knew just how much he loved them day in and day out. He never missed a chance to say I love you, and he never missed a chance to hear it right back. His wife of 37 years, was the apple of his eye. He sent her a flower every single day and absolutely worshiped the ground she walked on. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 8 in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home and the family will receive friends following the service. In Honor of Henry, the family requests all who attend to please wear casual clothes. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Emma United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 6921, Asheville NC 28806, or to the Alzehimer’s Association, Western Carolina Chapter, in memory of his father, 4600 Park Rd., Ste. 250, Charlotte, NC 28209. Long story short, count your blessings. Henry sure was a blessing to this world.