Mary Virginia "Ginny" Fisher

Mary Virginia “Ginny” Fisher was born on December 21, 1944. Her parents were Paul and Norberta Fellner. She was the first child of her father’s crew during World War II, and so Paul named his plane the “Mary Virginia”... long before he knew she hated flying. A lifelong Pittsburgher, she grew up on Mt. Washington and attended St. Mary of the Mount before later moving to Baldwin. She graduated from Baldwin High School in 1962, and married her high school sweetheart, Michael J. Fisher (deceased), in 1964.

She started working at Duquesne University in 1986, where she stayed until her retirement in 2013. She was a hard-worker who took pride in her work. She was beloved by her colleagues and everyone who had the good fortune to walk into her office.

Ginny was a lifelong Elvis fan who loved to sing and dance along to her favorite songs, although she never once sang a single note in tune, even accidentally. She was an avid bowler and a card sharp who could do an effortless bridge with any deck. She loved her neighborhood and her neighbors on Blossom Drive. She was kind and smart and funny with an infectious laugh. She had the simple but inexplicable magic that every matriarch of a large family needs: she was always busy, but never ever too busy for you.

She is survived by her four children, Kimberly Thorne (Tom Heinricher) of Regent Square, Lisa (Michael) Delon of Robinson, Karen (Michael) Ferris of Bethel Park, and Michael (Melanie) Fisher of Baldwin, grandchildren: Alyssa and Mikaela Thorne of California; Jordyn Milcarek, Jacob and Hannah Delon of Robinson; McKenna, Zachary, Ryan, and Tessa Ferris of Bethel Park; and Kendall, Brielle, and Braeden Fisher of Whitehall; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She also leaves behind her siblings, Maureen Landau of Whitehall and Paul (Chip) Fellner Jr. of Bethel Park, and her siblings-in-law Marjorie (Anthony) Gesuale of Malvern and William Fisher (Kayo) of San Francisco.

Her family was her life and her joy. She came to every sports game (even though she couldn’t take the pressure and had to pace along the sidelines), every school play or musical, and made sure that every single member of the Fisher family felt totally, completely loved from the moment they were born.

She passed surrounded by her family on Saturday, March 4th. Her love for her family is surpassed only by the love her family holds for her. She’ll live on through every meal her family shares, the blue, blue eyes she passed on to so many of her children and grandchildren, and as the voice in all of their heads any time someone asks, “Where are we going for dinner?”

Family and friends will be received Wednesday, March 8th from 2-8 PM at Paul Henney Cremation & Funeral Tributes, 5570 Library Rd., Bethel Park.  Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Thursday, March 9th 10 AM at Our Lady of Hope Parish/St. Germaine Church, Bethel Park. In lieu of flowers donations in her memory can be made to Hilarity for Charity, wearehfc.org.

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