Glen Charles Fischer

Glen Charles Fischer passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 2, 2022, after an extended illness. Glen was born January 4, 1943, to Henry and Dorothy (Prill) Fischer, in Shelby, Michigan.

Growing up on the family farm in Rothbury, he attended the one room Batten Elementary School and was a 1960 graduate of Montague High School. In 1964, he received a degree in physics with a math minor from Kalamazoo College, winning an award for best physics and math student. During his studies, he completed a 6-month foreign study in Bonn, Germany, developing a lifelong love of learning the German language. He was impacted by visiting Berlin just after the Berlin Airlift and he shared this history with his niece by taking her to Berlin after the Berlin Wall fell.

Glen completed a senior research project at Argonne National Laboratory outside of Chicago and worked there until he started graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. There, he earned a Masters and Doctorate in High Energy Physics. At Wisconsin, he met and later married Linda Hartsell on September 14, 1968. After working as a physicist at Brookhaven National Lab on Long Island New York, Mt. Evens outside of Denver, and in Madison Wisconsin, he returned with Linda to the family centennial farm and took over Fischer Trees. Glen and Linda owned Fischer Trees 50 years, where they grew ornamental evergreens and Christmas Trees. The appreciation his customers had for his cut your own tree operation kept him going. He particularly enjoyed watching successive generations of families who came to cut their own trees every year meeting their children and grandchildren. 

In the 80s when computers were just being introduced in schools, he volunteered at Shelby High School to develop programs and teach classes in computers and robotics. Many students remember his lessons including a visit to his pool table to put principles of physics into practice. Glen also had a passion for soccer. He co-ran the Shelby recreational club soccer program introducing a girl’s program and innovating improvements by customizing programs to match the ages and abilities of the budding athlete. Another passion of his was travel. Some of his favorite places he visited include the Panama Canal, The Algarve in Portugal (where he saw the women’s national soccer team play several times) and Berlin, Germany. 

Glen was known for his keen intellect and wit. 

Glen is survived by: his wife, Linda; brother, Bruce Fischer; sister, Diane (John Saling) Fischer; and niece, Amy Rusch.

Glen was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Dorothy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Henry and Dorothy V. Fischer Family Fund with the Community Foundation of Oceana County.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 AM, Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the Harris Funeral Home, 267 North Michigan Avenue, Shelby, MI 49455, with Pastor Sarah Samuelson officiating. Visitation will be held at the Harris Funeral Home from 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Friday, October 7, 2022, and Saturday one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Eagles Cemetery, Arthur Road, New Era. A luncheon will be provided following the services, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5631 W Stony Lake Rd, New Era, MI 49446.

The Harris Funeral Home, in Shelby, is handling arrangements.

www.harrisfhome.com

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