Obituary of Francis E. Fisher

Fran Evans “Fran” Fisher, 91, of State College, known for decades as “The Voice of Penn State Football,” passed away May 14, 2015, at home. He was born on Sept. 23, 1923, in Salem, Ohio, to the late J. Homer and Ethel Evans Fisher, the third of three children. He was married to the love of his life, Charlotte “Bunny” Brooks on Aug. 20, 1944, and they were inseparable for 64 years of marriage until she passed away on Nov. 14, 2008. For decades, the two volunteered at charity golf tournaments, attended bowl games and traveled to Fran’s speaking engagements near and far – always together. He was also preceded in death by his sister Mildred. He is survived by his sister Jeanne, of Florida; sons Jeffrey and his wife Colleen, of Boalsburg, and Jerry, and his fiancee Andrea Boyles, of Mingoville; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was blessed with grandchildren Brooks Fisher and wife Rebecca, of Pine Grove Mills; Chad Fisher and wife Erin, of Boalsburg; Cathleen and husband Christopher Baker of Pennsylvania Furnace; Casey Fisher, of Julian; Alex Fisher, of State College; and Jaclyn and husband Justin Ondyk, of Julian; as well as great-great grandchildren Bryce Fisher, Mason Fisher, Sydney Fisher, Marcus Baker, Rowan Ondyk and Ava Ondyk. Although born in Ohio, Fran spent most of his youth and early married years in Greensburg. He graduated from Greensburg High School in 1941 and enrolled in Bethany College (W.Va.). In the fall of 1942, he transferred to Penn State, where he majored in mechanical engineering and played alto saxophone in the Blue Band and in the campus big band, the Penn State Aristocrats. He left school to serve in the U.S. Navy later that fall. After the war he returned to Greensburg, where he operated a record store and in 1952 began broadcasting high school sports on radio station WHJB. In 1962, he and Charlotte moved to Lewistown, where he became the manager and sportscaster of WKVA, covering Penn State and high school sports. Beginning in 1966, when he joined the Penn State football radio network an analyst, Fran was synonymous with Penn State athletics as the “voice” of Penn State sports for more than three decades. He was the Penn State football play-by-play announcer from 1970-82, which included his call of Penn State’s victory over Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl for its first national championship, and 1994-99, when he was paired with good friend George Paterno. He broadcast Penn State basketball from 1976-83. In 1970 he was hired by Penn State’s public station WPSX-TV (now WPSU-TV) as a producer-broadcaster for public affairs and began producing various sports programs, serving as the primary announcer. He later joined the Penn State athletic department with various responsibilities in broadcasting and external public affairs. From 1984 until he retired in 1988, he served as executive director of the Nittany Lion Club and played a lead role in the creation of the iconic Nittany Lion logo head that is so identifiable today. He was a fixture on the “TV Quarterbacks” public television program with Joe Paterno and Jim Tarman that aired statewide and the “Joe Paterno Call-In Show” on radio; hosted numerous Penn State and PIAA sporting events and specials on WPSX-TV and throughout Pennsylvania; and represented Penn State at hundreds of events and functions. More recently, he was a principal with son Jeffrey in the advertising and marketing firm, “Fisher & Associates,” and continued to do voice-overs for both television and radio. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame; a member of the Westmoreland County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame; an honorary member of the Penn State Football Letterman’s Club; an Honorary Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association; a recipient of the College of Communications’ Anderson Communications Contributor Award; and an original board member of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. He was a member of the State College Presbyterian Church. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, May 18, 2015, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 South Atherton Street, State College. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 19, 2015, at the State College Presbyterian Church, 132 W. Beaver Ave., State College. Private burial will be in Westmoreland County Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be sent to the Fran Fisher Athletic Scholarship Fund, to benefit Penn State student-athletes in the College of Communications; mail to 1 Old Main, University Park, Pa. 16802. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.