Obituary of Linda Stearns Fisher

Linda Diane Stearns Fisher has now rejoined the Tempered Brass Quartet in its afterlife. Robert Engel, Jon Cryer, and Charles (Chuck) Kreeb have preceded her. She passed away peacefully June 26, 2024 at Windmill Manor.

Memorial services will be held at 1 pm, Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the Unitarian Universalist Society (2355 Oakdale Rd, Coralville, IA). Private family graveside service will take place at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Linda was born to Irl Hagar Stearns and his second wife, Ruth Alice King Stearns, on April 16, 1942 in Springfield, Vermont.  She was preceded into the family by brother Robert Warren Stearns. In addition, she was also blessed with other older siblings born to her father’s first wife, Ruby Downing—Gordon Irl, Barbara Chapin Ekvall, Ruth Christine Stearns Woodruff, and Wayne Ralph Chapin. Gordon and Ruth were raised in Springfield, while Barbara and Wayne were raised in Texas, having been adopted by Ruby’s second husband.

Linda grew up loving to read, playing trombone and baritone, and playing golf. She learned to play trombone using her father’s instrument but added her favorite, baritone, soon after. Thereafter, she added the string bass and cello when there was no other musician to play it in high school. She graduated in the top 12 in her high school class in 1960.

She wanted to become a music teacher but couldn’t afford college, so she enlisted in the US Air Force. Her assignment to the US WAF Band, the only all-female band in Air Force history (formed in 1951 but disbanded in 1961), afforded her the opportunity to march in President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural parade.

After a year of work, she started college at Gonzaga University, Spokane WA on a music scholarship, playing trombone in the orchestra and baritone in the band, and being the music librarian for both all four years. At the beginning of her senior year, she met the love of her life Roger LeRoy Fisher, of Spring Lake MN, who was in his pastoral intern year at the Spokane church Linda had attended the previous three years. On May 29, 1966, the two were united in a marriage that lasted until Roger’s death on August 26, 2012.

In their first year together, Linda worked at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant while Roger finished seminary. Then Roger and Linda became Iowans for the rest of their lives. Roger was called to serve Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Liberty while Linda worked at Westinghouse Learning Corporation and attended The University of Iowa in pursuit of a master’s degree in religion. After three years, they moved to Iowa City where Roger worked at WLC, then served Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and drove bus for the Coralville Transit System, then became the CTS manager, a job he held for 25 years while filling ministerial vacancies on a part-time basis. They moved to Coralville in 1979. Linda worked for 24 years as a proofreader for The University of Iowa Printing Department. She also proofread many books for the UI Press.

Linda had quit playing her instruments following graduation from college. However, after attending the WAF Band’s third reunion in 1999, she decided that she wanted to play regularly again. She joined the Iowa City New Horizons Band, its subgroup the Antique Brass, and sometimes substituted with other subgroups. Then she learned to play tuba and played that with the Kirkwood (College) Community Band for several years. One year she was even able to return to playing baritone while with the Iowa Military Veterans Band, the only one of its kind.

Linda also loved gardening, converting most of their Coralville yard into flower gardens with shrubs and trees. She also loved being involved with Project GREEN, whose work supports Iowa City public landscaping projects.

Linda’s third major leisure interest was in birdwatching, which led to many birdfeeders and happy hours watching the birds who came to claim some of the available food.

Linda retired from UI Printing Department in August of 2001. Weeks later, she began noticing forgetfulness and other worrying signs in Roger. By 2002, he retired from Coralville Transit, and just months later was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Many life adjustments commenced as together they dealt with his dreaded disease. It was in December 2010 that Linda gave the care of Roger over to Legacy Gardens.

Linda participated in many activities including Unitarian Universalist Society, Veterans for Peace, Iowa City Bird Club, 100 Grannies, and advocating for transit system and Democrat issues.

Linda is survived by her brother Robert, sister-in-law Joan, nephews Allan (Sherri) and Robert F., niece Kelly (Mark) Kisch, and special friends Karen Disbrow, Mary Noble, Jim Olson, and Ed Flaherty.