Harry Edward and Joyce (Fulton) Fischer
After nearly 56 years of marriage, they were separated by death Nov. 13, 2010, when Harry suddenly passed away. After a long illness, Joyce joined him to be in the Lord’s presence Dec. 14, 2023. Harry and Joyce Fischer are now joined together once again and laid to rest in God’s everlasting love.
A graveside service to honor Harry and Joyce Fischer will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Murray Cemetery in Rockdale.
Harry Edward was born on Dec. 15, 1932, to Harry and Mary Louise (Elam) Fischer in Baytown.
He spent most of his youth on the Texas coast; exploring, tending the family farm, and keeping a close eye on his mischievous brother John Elbert. The family moved to Rockdale midway through Harry’s senior year of high school.
Upon graduation, he joined the Navy; serving his country from June 1951 to June 1955, with his significant duty assignment being Bremerton, Washington.
Joyce was born on Feb. 10, 1935, to William and Inis (Morgan) Fulton in San Pedro, California.
Shortly after World War II broke out, her father relocated the family to the Bremerton, Washington, area to work in the ship yards.
She spent her youth in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest: Joyce spoke fondly of swimming in Wildcat Lake and tending to critters on her Aunt Clara and Uncle Jim’s Farm.
It was in Bremerton on Sept. 26, 1953, that fate brought Harry and Joyce together at a party honoring the local servicemen. As the story goes, both were hesitant about attending the event and decided at the last moment to attend. It was love at first sight! After a whirlwind romance, Harry and Joyce were married on Feb. 20, 1954, at the First Christian Church in Bremerton.
Harry left shortly thereafter, May 1954, for a yearlong deployment on the minesweeper USS Pelican, returning home late April 1955 after the minesweeper was decommissioned. From that time forward, Harry and Joyce were inseparable.
The young couple spent a few years in Los Angeles, California, while Harry completed a technical training course in automotive and diesel mechanics and worked briefly at the Rocketdyne Component Test Laboratory.
In 1957 they relocated to Texas; landing first in Milano, then in Cameron. Later that year, Harry was hired onto General Tire in Waco; a job he would retire from in 1987.
Harry had an enormous heart and wonderful sense of humor. He was generous, clever, and full to the brim with knowledge gained through his life experiences: mechanic, hobbyist farmer and fisherman. Harry could fix or build anything. He saw beauty in the basic elements of nature, transforming rocks and wood into amazing (often whimsical) pieces of art.
His children fondly remember him as being extremely frugal, never wasting anything and saving everything for future use. You could always count on him to have that odd thing-a-ma-jig to fix a broken widget.
As was the tradition of the day, Joyce’s focus was being a wife and mother; taking care of her home and children. Joyce expressed her creativity through sewing and other crafts. She loved reading, square dancing, and visiting friends. But her greatest joy was being the wind beneath Harry’s wings; joining in his endeavors as partner in life.
Harry and Joyce were both strong willed and stubborn at times; their lover spats legendary. They loved each other dearly, and rarely spent a moment apart.
Upon retirement, their favorite pastime was traveling across the United States, living a nomadic life in their RV. Joyce as navigator and Harry as pilot. They found comfort and peace in experiencing raw nature while walking the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, exploring light houses, and collecting driftwood and beach glass.
They were preceded in death by their respective parents; Harry and Mary Louise (Elam) Fischer, Robert and Inis (Morgan) Fulton; brother John Elbert Fischer and wife Peggy (Lawrence) Fischer; brother Robert Fulton Jr; brother Harold Fulton and wife Louise (Guarente) Fulton.
Harry and Joyce are survived by their three children, Donald Fischer and wife Roberta (Keith) Fischer of Amarillo, Pamela Fischer Warren and husband Ronald Rabinowitz of Rockdale, David Fischer and wife Faye (Shank) Fischer of Las Vegas NV; “daughter” by choice Mary (Powell) Stone of Axtell; grandchildren Jeffrey Fischer of Bryan, Ian Warren and wife Sun Yi of Forest Grove, OR, Lincoln and partner Elliot Pfeil of San Antonio, Robyn (Pfeil) and husband John Powell of Amarillo, and Michelle Rabinowitz of Rockdale; eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please be kind to someone. Call a friend or relative you have not reached out to recently. Visit someone who is homebound or a resident of a nursing home. Forgive someone. Reach out to help someone less fortunate than you. All acts of kindness are appreciated.
A special thank you to all our loving friends and family who visited and offered prayers during Joyce’s illness.