John B. Fisher

John Bernice Fisher, Sr., aged 82, died on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 at home. He was born in Moultrie Georgia, the youngest of seven children, on March 18th, 1929, the son of Mattie Maude Barnwell and Vaughn Bristol Fisher. John served in the United States Army as a staff sergeant stationed in Wisconsin during the Korean War. In 1952, he and his wife Jeanette moved to Asheville at the invitation of her Uncle Paul Long to begin work at a young Biltmore Iron and Metal Company, a business that he later owned in partnership with Don Cloninger and Bob Morton. John served as an officer in ISIS – the Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel as well as ISRI – the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. John was a pioneer in recycling before sustainability became a watchword. He was an organizing member of the Buncombe Environmental Affairs Board. A life-long Baptist he was a long time member of West Asheville Baptist Church having been ordained a deacon there in 1959. Later, in 1987 he made Hominy Baptist his church home serving as a deacon there as well as a member of the stewardship and finance committees. He served on many civic boards and commissions including participating in the formation of the first Buncombe County Recreation Council, a precursor to Asheville Buncombe Parks and Recreation. John was appointed to the Board of Tax Supervision in 1977, and served as Vice Chairman of the Asheville Transit Authority, as well as a member of the Buncombe County Sheriff's Personnel Advisory Board during the tenure of Sheriff Tom Morrissey. Known throughout his professional life as a philanthropist, he, through Biltmore Iron and Metal Company, established a scholarship for student artists attending UNC-Asheville. A life long Democratic Party activist, John was tapped to be the treasurer of the Clarke for Congress Campaign, which saw the election of James McClure Clarke to U.S. Congress in 1982. John served on the Board of Directors of the Buncombe Democratic Men's Club for many years. Early in his and Jeanette's life in West Asheville, John produced design drawings for several homes in the neighborhood. He loved to entertain and one could often find the entire neighborhood gathered at the Fisher's for pig pickin's. The Fisher home was always the center of activity for all the neighborhood children. John loved fishing and spent many years back and forth from Asheville to the beach or to his lake homes in Tryon and Mills River. If you could translate what he was saying through his South Georgia drawl, his trademark southern humor would keep you constantly laughing. He was preceded in death by his wife of nearly 60 years, Jeanette Long Fisher. John is survived by his children and their spouses; John B. Fisher, Jr. and wife Susan Carscaddon Fisher of Asheville, and Vonna Fisher Cloninger and husband Jeffrey W. Cloninger of Candler. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Blake Cloninger and wife, Ashley, Jonathan Fisher, Jonah Cloninger and wife, Christie, Alexandra Fisher and great granddaughter, Campbell Cloninger. The family will receive friends from 6-8pm on Sunday, November 27 at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Avenue. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 29 at Hominy Baptist Church, 135 Candler School Road, Candler, NC. The Reverend Dr. Joe Yelton will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Hominy Baptist Church Building Fund in care of Hominy Baptist Church, 135 Candler School Road, Candler, NC 28715. Condolences may be sent through the website at www.grocefuneralhome.com.