Janice Fischer

Janice Fischer slipped gently from the bonds of her earthly existence on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at the age of 86.  She entered our Lord’s heavenly kingdom and was joyfully greeted by her beloved husband of 58 years Bob Fischer, who preceded her in death.

Janice was born January 1936 in Oakland, California, and grew up in Albany, California where she met her best friend and soulmate, Bob Fischer.  They were married on April 8, 1956, prior to Bob’s enlistment in the United States Navy as a Naval aviator.  She embraced the role of the wife of a Navy pilot with determination and vigor, a trait that would prove to be her greatest ally in life.  While her husband was away at sea defending America, Janice single handedly raised four amazing daughters and managed the entire household for months at a time.  A true patriot and proud member of the Navy family, Janice instilled these values in each of her daughters.

Janice and Bob moved their growing family to Kingsville, Texas in 1970 where Bob was assigned to NAS Kingsville. Janice immediately made a home for them and immersed herself in the community.

She left her mark on Kingsville in so many ways, too numerous to mention here.  Some of her proudest achievements always centered around her daughters and her church.  She was an active mom for the Kingsville Swim Team, Brahma High School Swim Team, and Band while her daughters were in school.   All these years later the kids who swam during her tenure still recall her name with great admiration.  She was the hardworking owner of “The Fertile Turtle”.  Janice was always modest and charitable and could be counted on to tell you the truth.

Janice was an active, devoted, and long-standing member of St. Gertrude Catholic Church, where she celebrated her faith with her family from the first Sunday they entered Kingsville.  She was a member of the St. Gertrude’s Altar & Rosary Society, Angel Tree Project, and an active volunteer in support of the Knights of Columbus #3389 BBQ ticket sales (where she kept a secret list of contacts who could never say no when called upon).  She enjoyed working with Texas A&M Kingsville assisting students at registration and feeding them at weekly meals with her church.

She loved the sense of community she had with members of the Kingsville Garden Club, the El Tapatio Breakfast Group, as well as so many others. She enjoyed coordinating Christmas lights and decorations with her neighbors, and she will be missed for her watch dog skills of reporting potholes on streets in need of repair.

However, her proudest honor was raising her four beautiful and successful daughters whom she is survived by: Barbara (Tom) Chesney of Richmond, TX, Susie (Carl) Tennison on Padre Island, TX, Kathy (David) Klipper of Rosenberg, TX, and Laurie (Greg) Gullo of Frisco, TX as well as eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Mickey Harrison, her brother Eddie Bernard, her in-laws George (Beverly) Fischer and Joan (Wayne) Myrick and numerous nieces and nephews   She will always be known as “Grandma Fishy”, a name that will be forever remembered with great fondness and affection!

Visitation will be on Friday, April 29, 2022, at Turcotte-Piper Mortuary, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM; with a rosary to begin at 7:00 PM. A funeral procession will depart the funeral chapel at 9:30 AM on Saturday, April 30, 2022, to St. Gertrude the Great Catholic Church for a funeral mass at 10:00 AM. A reception will be held at the church after mass. Interment will follow at a later date at Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, loving remembrances to honor Janice may be sent to St. Gertrude’s Grotto Fund or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Please remember her and her family in your prayers.