Ronald Jay Fisher

Ronald Jay Fisher has climbed his highest mountain. No peak was too high or too difficult for Ron, but the challenge of his battle with melanoma cancer was insurmountable in body, if not in spirit. His life journey began January 31, 1944 in Cedar City, Utah, where he was born to Jay N. and Carmen Carpenter Fisher. He married Carol Lynn Listak July 22, 1967 in Denver, Colorado. Later sealed in the St. George Temple, Ron and Carol were the parents of three wonderful children. The marriage was later dissolved. Being the child of a military officer meant Ron's young life was unsettled. Even so, with his boundless curiosity and intellect, his achievements were notable. He was one of the five top students in the National Merit Scholarship examinations, placing him in the upper one percent of the nation's students. On his college entrance exams, he scored in the top one percent of all entrants to Ivy League Schools. Ron chose to attend Southern Utah University, where he had roles in the Shakespearean Festival, including a lead in As You Like It. He graduated from BYU with a degree in Youth Leadership and later received an Electronics degree from Idaho State University. For the last decade, he has been a valued employee of Stuart Electrical. Ron found great strength and peace in the backcountry. Solace came to him from the beauty and solitude of the desert and mountains. He was an avid mountaineer, rock climber and backcountry skier, spending days to weeks with friends, his son, or soloing on his own, summiting peaks and climbing crags. This was his passion, and he excelled at it. He also shared it: Ron was director of a mountain climbing school and climbing guide service and taught backcountry skiing to novices. He was also very interested in motocross racing, and owned his own motorcycle shop, as well as managing sporting and bicycle shops. Deeply compassionate and desirous of helping others, Ron was a "Good Samaritan" by nature. For over a decade he volunteered his evenings to teach English as a second language to refugees and low income immigrants at the Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City. However limited his means, he gave generously to the Utah Food Bank and to homeless shelters. He never passed a motorist in distress without offering aid, never missed an opportunity to lend a helping hand, and never failed to lift and encourage others with a kind word and the wisdom of experience. Always active in the LDS Church, Ron was a High Priest, most recently engaged in Family Research, and a frequent patron of the Temple. He loved nature, his family, friends, and country. Circumscribing and transcending all, he loved his Savior. He is survived by his dear parents and his children, whom he loved more than life: Jonathan Jay (Petrina), Margaret Elizabeth (Derek), and Jill-Morgan. He also leaves two wonderful grandchildren, Jack Henry and Ava Rose, as well as a brother and sister who feel his loss deeply, Randal Neal and Deborah Susannah. We will miss you, dear Ron. Now you will find the answer to the question you asked when you were only two years old: "If God made everything, who made God?" Ron's family wishes to express gratitude to the many friends, ward members, hospice volunteers, and health care professionals who have proffered tender, solicitous care. Funeral services for Ron will be held on Tuesday, April 7th at 11:00 a.m. in the Holladay 4th Ward Chapel (4917 S. Viewmont Street, Holladay). Family and friends may call between 9:30 and 10:30. Burial will follow in the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted for the Guadalupe School (340 South Goshen Street, Salt Lake City, 84104), and for the Utah Food Bank (1025 South 700 West, Salt Lake City, 84104, or utahfoodbank.org).