Will Pope Fisher's Obituary
Celebrating the life of Will Pope Fisher who was born January 18, 1929, in Marshall, TX, to Elizabeth and Will Pope Sr. Graduating in 1946 from Marshall High School, he went to work in the shop at Texas and Pacific Railroad. Pope passed away on November 28, 2023.
He joined the Navy in September, 1948, and attended aviation metal-smith training in Middleton, Tennessee. From there he went to work in Alameda, California, for FASron to assemble, repair, and overhaul airplanes. His aviation repair work continued when he was transferred to Fighter Squadron 903. In 1952, he served aboard the USS Boxer, an aircraft carrier. After his enlistment was extended for a year, he fought in the Korean War for 2 years, where he received three battle stars. Pope returned to the states in 1952 to serve on military transport planes in San Jose, California’s Naval Air Station. In 1953, he was honorably discharged from the service and returned to Marshall where he resumed working for the railroad as an apprentice blacksmith.
In 1954, he left the railroad and went to work for Texas Game and Fish Commission Inland Fisheries which later was called Texas Parks and Wildlife. He remained there for 38 years. During that time, in 1963, he married Betty Jo Clinkscales in Jefferson, Texas. They lived in Marshall where she was a telephone operator. In 1965, they adopted their only son, Lee Cavin Fisher. The family lived in Marshall until 1976 when they moved to Longview. They joined Mobberly Baptist Church which brought many blessings and ways to serve.
Pope taught Sunday School for many years, served as a deacon, and sang in the choir. Opportunities to minister to others also came as he volunteered at Longview Regional for 20 years. In addition to his church activities, Pope also enjoyed fishing, sketching, and wood carving. He particularly enjoyed taking an ordinary block of wood and transforming it into a life-like duck or bird. Also, one could always count on Pope to be coaching any of Lee’s athletic teams or serving as a Scout leader. Shortly before their 50th anniversary in February of 2013, Betty Jo passed away.
Pope was blessed to marry again however, as on June 27, 2015, he married Pat Carothers. They spent their years together traveling with the Mobberly senior adults and their close friends, Roger and Sue Wright.
Pope is survived by his wife, Pat Fisher; son and daughter-in-law, Lee and Kathy Fisher; grandson Will Fisher and his wife Brooke; and great granddaughters, Ophelia and Evelyn. He is also survived by Pat’s daughters and their husbands and children who he loved as his own: Cindy and Mark Loughmiller, Megan Loughmiller, Rachel Loughmiller, Matthew and Gwen Spadie and their children, Peter and Rose, Jacob Spadie, Alice and Chad Thompson, Tara and Andrew Nelson and their child, Avery, Tanner and Taylor Thompson, Truman and Hannah Thompson and their children, Archie and Eloise.
Reminiscing about Pope and his life, a few things are clear: he loved nature and spending time outdoors with his son and grandson. He was calm with an easy-going personality. But, when he felt strongly about something he said so, and people listened. Psalm 37:23 comes to mind as we remember Pope. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way.”
Services to honor his life will be held at 12:00 pm on Saturday December 2, 2023, in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home in Longview. A time of visitation will be held the night before on Friday December 1, from 6-7 PM at Rader.
In lieu of flowers the family requests a donation be made to the Mobberly Baptist Church Building fund or the Mobberly Choir.
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