Robert Vernon Fisher Dies March 25

Robert Vernon Fisher died peacefully at home on March 25 with Susan, his wife of 50 years, and children Rachel and Joel by his side. He was 76.

Bob was born in Middletown, NY in 1945 and grew up in Tenafly, NJ, which he described as the quintessential 1950’s suburban childhood. He majored in Anthropology at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, where he met his future wife, Susan Kauffman, on a blind date.

After college Bob joined the Peace Corps, and taught English in Turkey and the Dominican Republic. In 1972 he and Susan married. On their way to the West Coast to begin their life together, they fell in love with Santa Fe, and decided to stop there. They opened a jewelry store, and their children Rachel and Joel soon arrived.

Bob and his young family eventually moved to Sag Harbor, closer to his father, a part-time Southampton resident. Wishing to work with his hands and pursue creative ventures, Bob took a class in furniture restoration at Southampton College, then apprenticed with local furniture restorer George Schulte. Spurred on by this new passion, Bob converted a dilapidated artist’s studio behind their house on Glover Street into a woodshop, and got to work making tables. Building on their early success, in 1982 he and Susan opened Fisher’s Antiques (now called Fisher’s Home Furnishings) a retail store that has become a fixture of Sag Harbor’s Main Street.

In 1988 Bob and Susan moved to England for a year in part for business, and also to introduce their children to the world beyond Sag Harbor. The family combined work and pleasure, traveling throughout Europe and Africa seeking products for their Sag Harbor store. In the following decades, Bob and Susan ran a successful business, traveled widely, raised their children, and became deeply involved in the Sag Harbor community.

Bob was known for his wickedly irreverent sense of humor, generosity, and sense of good fun. He had a wide range of interests, even getting his pilot’s license and his own airplane for a while. Bob loved movies and fireworks, and every summer arranged a trip to the Boys’ Harbor fireworks for friends, family, and employees. Having overcome many challenges in his own life, Bob saw his good fortune as a chance to help both friends and strangers alike. In the days since his passing, many people from Bob’s past and present have contacted his family to say how much Bob had done for them.

Bob is survived by his wife , two children, as well as his sister Liza Norman, and four grandchildren Mia, Max, Stella, and Ruby. Details for a future memorial service will be available in the coming weeks. The Fisher family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry.