Thomas Douglas Fisher

Thomas Douglas Fisher, 78, of Waynesville, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Born in Cartersville, Georgia, Tom was the son of the late Douglas Bedford Fisher and Frances Moore Fisher.

With a Microbiology degree from the University of Georgia, he became a life-long Bulldog. For over thirty years, Tom dedicated his service as General Manager for Sterilization Services of Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia, where they sterilized medical devices for hospitals and other medical facilities. He also proudly served his country as a Marine in the National Guard for many years.

His love for the outdoors was rooted in his childhood visits to his Moore grandparents’ farm, hunting and fishing, to a boy’s delight. He cherished time on the National Ski Patrol at Sugar Mountain, NC, as leader of the Volunteer Ski Patrol on weekends and holidays for much of that time. For over thirty years, from his weekends while in Athens to teaching all three sons how to snowplow and then become the best skiers on the slopes, the entire family loved those incredible winters together, living the good life, opening the slopes and shushing down from the top of Tom Terrific or Switchback from the top of yellow lift—with the entire area all theirs—after the paying crowd had disappeared.

As his sons came of sports age, he treasured coaching each one on their various football teams and was a valuable supporter for them on the soccer fields. He was exceedingly proud of all three sons, supporting them in their endeavors, standing beside them during their challenges, and inspiring them to become the young men he knew they could be. He never doubted that every single one would accomplish exactly that. When his grandchildren came along, they were the delight of his life. He cherished each one, all seven, for their unique gifts, and nothing could please him more than taking them places and cheering them on from the sidelines.

As his health declined, he and Donna moved to their most special place at Polk’s Peak at their beloved Lake Junaluska, where they had been married at Memorial Chapel over fifty-two years ago. Halfway to heaven, their lives came full circle. He came to life there, sitting on the tree-house porch for hours at the time, conversing with the myriad birds, whistling a different tune each day, watching the gymnastics and antics of the squirrels, on the balance beams of the railings. He was enchanted by a raccoon hanging on the nearest tree one day, and he even was thrilled to find a 12-foot King snake on our new stone walkway soon after. The views from this rare, sacred place never disappointed. Lying in bed, sitting on the sofa, or on the porch, he could view at different times a stunning sunrise or sunset, the rising of the Super Harvest moon, or the magical mist over the layers of Cold Mountain and the Balsam Range. And then through the den window, the valley view of houses, cows, on the mountainside and Chamber Mountain--clearly almost to heaven.

Deciding early on after the official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, they promised each other that every single day on this earth would be an intentional Journey for Joy. And find joy, they did. Together they chased joy down every cove, up every holler, and along every creek. He loved the valley farms, the old barns and their stately silos, the hay fields, the corn rows, but, most of all, the animals. They first discovered the Highland cows off Jonathan Creek. Then came the Herefords, Holsteins, and Black Angus. But their winter delight had to be the seventeen alpacas on a beautiful meadow hillside farm on Iron Duff.

But the highlight and most thrilling had to be the serpentine road up the Blue Ridge Parkway to the top of the world, especially the perfect time of day with the shimmering light filtering through the stain-glass leaves of the most glorious cathedral of all creation, culminating at the top of Waterrock Knob. What beauty, what joy, what a marvelous universe.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Teresa Gail.

He leaves behind a legacy of love and laughter, survived by his wife of fifty-two years, Donna Polk Fisher; his sons, Derek Douglas (Jessica) Fisher, Thomas Blake Fisher, and Jason Dorn Fisher; his sister, Brenda Fisher; and his seven grandchildren: Heidi Collins, Landon, Grant, Ella, Paxton, Savannah and Audrey Fisher, and several nieces and nephews.

Celebration of Life will be held at First United Methodist Church Waynesville, on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 2 p.m.

If preferred over flowers, the family suggests that donations can be made to First United Church Waynesville or to Lake Junaluska Assembly.

The care of Mr. Fisher has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.