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Gary G. Fisher
Born: 8/21/1940
Died: 2/19/2023
Age: 82
Community: Flint, MI
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Gary G. Fisher, or ‘Big Gary’ as he was also known, was born in Steele, Missouri, on August 21st, 1940. His family was very poor; he didn’t get his first pair of real shoes until he was 10 years old, which is when his family migrated north to Flint, Michigan, where his dad went to work at GM. Gary graduated from Bendle High, where he competed in almost all sports, especially excelling at basketball, football and track. He also played baseball and participated in Golden Gloves boxing.
He worked from an early age at jobs including flipping burgers at Royal Drive Inn, and bagging groceries at US 23/Food Lane grocery store. But it was at his job after graduation, at Flint General Hospital, where he was a custodian, that he met the love of his long life, a vivacious switchboard operator named Carolyn Pyne. They married and Gary went to work at Buick, which allowed them to buy the house at the corner of Wisconsin and Cronk Avenues on the East Side of Flint. There, they raised their family of two children, Gary Lee and Vickie Lynn.
Big Gary was an East Side legend, known to play sports with the neighborhood kids, making sure they always had a green yard where there was plenty of room to have a good time, and the right equipment to play with. He was tough but fair, eternally loyal to his family, as well as his extended family of Gary’s (a.k.a “Louie”) and Vickie's friends, who he considered his kids, too. He always had their backs, and they knew it.
He literally never missed one of his kids’ ball games, if he wasn’t at work in “the shop”, even attending all of his son’s adult softball games later in life, famously filling in once at a tournament where he hurt his achilles tendon, running to first base. He was safe—and he finished the game. When it was the next generation at bat, he loved watching his grandson Luke and was there when he could be.
Vickie had ballet lessons, a flute for band, and the best glove for softball. He spent hours playing catch with the two kids on the side yard. Big Gary believed in hard work and encouraged his kids to get jobs at young ages; to help Gary Lee when he was playing sports, Big Gary would take over his son’s paper route to help, personally delivering the newspapers. When they needed wheels, he made sure they had cars, teaching Vickie how to drive in a 1980s Chevy conversion van with carpeted walls and an 8 track cassette player. He put them both through the University of Michigan, so they never had to take out loans for their education.
A lover of tradition, he lit their home up every Christmas with old-fashioned string lights, once appearing in the Flint Journal in a big feature picture.
Big Gary loved playing Wii bowling with his grandson, and reading books about the old west and gangsters. He taught his son naughty poems…as a baby…(much to Carolyn’s chagrin), how to fight, hit a baseball and shoot pool. And he was an amazing pool shark, able to sink the 8 ball on the break with ease in his prime. If there is one thing he would probably say he didn’t get to do enough, it would be to shoot pool. He passed his knowledge about angles and English to his grandson, spending hours in the basement together, at the table.
An artist, Big Gary was asked to paint murals throughout the Buick plant for the Bicentennial celebration. Then, after a 30 year career as utility man, Gary retired and started a second career using his creative skills. He built furniture for his beloved daughter-in-law and best friend, Tracy Fisher. Along with stripping and fixing vintage pieces, he created all kinds of things, including plant stands, bird houses, and tuffets, becoming the Arts and Crafts King of the Old East Side. When he and Carolyn moved to Grand Blanc, he set up his art shop there and kept on working.
Big Gary loved his family more than anything. He never missed an important holiday or event, and when Carolyn passed he treasured her memory, keeping it alive by papering his house and ‘fridge with her pictures and photos of their great life together.
A huge Michigan football fan, he would analyze every game with his son, before, during and after. He enjoyed traveling with Gary and Tracy and treasured their road trips and other adventures they went on. He loved Elvis, Patsy Cline, and 50s music. He was a magnificent and funny story teller, dispenser of advice and wisdom, and despite being a tough guy, loved hugs. He adored his dog granddaughter, Emma, who adored her Grandpa back, and even put up with his Grand Cat Quincy (although Quincy bit him once).
Loyal and happy and fun and strong, he DID NOT let his family down. He never forgot where he came from. He was massively proud of his family and his grandson, Luke, who is keeping the family sports legacy alive.
And every day at 10 am, he and Vickie talked at their “regular check in”, and every night with his son to rehash the day or after every airing of his son’s radio show, Fish and the Flint Chronicles. Big Gary has left a giant hole in the fabric of his family, and will be missed by his children, Gary L. Fisher (Tracy), Vickie L. Johnson (Joseph), grandson, Luke Johnson, and sister Debbie Behringer (George) and brother, David Fisher (Nivia), and his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Carolyn (Pyne) Fisher, mother Jannetta (Hawkins) Pierce, father Lee Roy Fisher, mother-in-law Victoria (Grudzinski) Hogsten (Happy), and beloved pugs, Jake and Elwood.
Funeral Service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, February 26, 2023 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road.
Cremation will take place following the service.
The family will receive friends from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, February 25, 2023 and 12 p.m. Sunday until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Your condolences may be shared with the family at swartzfuneralhomeinc.com
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| Visitation |
| Date: |
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2/25/2023 |
| Time: |
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4:00 PM |
| The family will receive friends from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, February 25, 2023 and 12 p.m. Sunday, February 26, 2023 until the time of the service at 1 p.m. at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Flint. |
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| Funeral Service |
| Date: |
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2/26/2023 |
| Time: |
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1:00 PM |
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| Location: |
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Swartz Funeral Home & Cremation Center
1225 West Hill Road
Flint, MI 48507Get a Map to this location...
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