Leon "Bill" Norman Fisher

Leon "Bill" Norman Fisher, 83, of Wallowa and La Grande, died Jan. 1. The funeral will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at St Patrick's Episcopal Church in Enterprise. Burial will be at Wallowa Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Wallowa Senior Center.

Bill was born July 31, 1927, to Charlie and Hattie (Hansen) Fisher in Wallowa.

Other than serving time in the Navy as a Seabee, he spent his entire life in Wallowa until health issues forced him to move La Grande in 2006.

Bill married Macel Mae Moys on Oct. 3, 1947. They were married for 53 years until Macel died in 2000.

Bill was involved in many public service activities. He served as mayor of Wallowa for several terms and was a city council member. He was a member of the Wallowa school board, Wallowa County Museum board, Friends of the Joseph Branch Railroad and the Tamkaliks Homeland Project.

Bill was a member of the Masonic Lodge, American Legion, VFW and the Rural Letter Carriers Association. He owned and operated Bill's HiWay Service for 50-plus years, until he became a rural mail carrier, retiring in 2003.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, mushrooming, cutting firewood, gardening, reading, listening to music, going to Wildhorse Casino with family members and visiting. Spending time with family was very important to him. He liked spending time with his cat, Bo.

Those who knew him say he was a wonderful storyteller in later years, revealing what a risk-taker and daredevil he had been as a younger person. Those who knew him say his greatest gift was his ability to approach challenges with a positive attitude.

Survivors include his children and their spouses, Patty and Ted Atkinson, Terri and Gayle Hocker and Charles and Mardell Fisher, all of La Grande; 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a niece.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Macel; daughter, Larae Hocker; son, Michael Fisher; his parents; brother Joe Fisher; and sister, Helen Early.

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