Joan Fischer

Joan Fischer, age 78, passed away at home surrounded by family on Sunday, September 4th, 2022, after a battle with cancer. Joan is survived by her husband, Mark; her children Nicole and Wade; her siblings Kathy, Sandy and Bill; and her beloved pets Maggie, Rosie, and Mucci.

Joan was born on April 4th, 1944. She was the first of five Salzbrenner children, followed by Dick, Kathy, Sandy, and Bill. Her father, Dutch, ran the local copper mine; her mother, Nena, ran the house. And, when in town to visit, her beloved Grossmutter ran everything! Growing up in the small border town of Douglas, Arizona, she took her "leadership" role as the big sister very seriously. Intelligent and driven, Joan set a wonderful example with excellent grades, avid involvement in school clubs and activities, and a strong dedication to her faith.

Joan graduated from Douglas High School in 1962 and attended Arizona State University, pursuing the first of her many degrees in Business Education. Her passion for teaching took her across the country and globe to Arizona, Colorado, California, Germany, Michigan, and New Mexico. She also continued her own education, achieving Master's Degrees from both Eastern Michigan University (Clothing Construction & Related Arts) and the University of New Mexico (Special Education, Adolescent Communicative Disorders). Channeling her role model roots, she co-authored the cutting-edge publication, "Video: How to Use It! Improving Communication and Academics in Young Adults"(1988), to encourage fellow teachers to implement a multi-media approach in the classroom. She earned countless accolades throughout her resoundingly successful 40+ year career, but her true calling was rewarded every time one of her former students reached out to her long after they'd left her classroom to share that her influential blend of compassion and high standards had made a difference in their lives.

Despite such professional achievement, Joan's first love and the most important thing in her life was her family. Joan met Mark while teaching in Germany after being introduced by their mutual friends Karl and Joan Jacobs. They married in a small ceremony in Wurzburg, Germany in 1969, and remained together for 53 years. They had two children, Nicole, and Wade, and worked together to ensure they were provided a loving home, good schools, and the ability to pursue their dreams. More important than academic and athletic achievements, Joan and Mark were committed to raising their children to be smart, hard-working, and kind people. Joan was immensely proud of her family and the home she built with Mark, and enjoyed nothing more than to have them all together.

Evident upon first glance, Joan devoted her free time to good design. Her love of a well-assembled (and well-accessorized) outfit could rival that of Lady Di or Elizabeth Taylor. Her appreciation of a good sale at Dillard's is legend, but her interest stretched well beyond fashion to architecture, interior design, and fine art. She would often spend weekends touring open houses around Albuquerque and Santa Fe or at Weem's Art Gallery educating herself on various painters and craftsmen. When Wade and Nicole left Albuquerque for college, she and Mark toured every inch of their college campuses and the surrounding towns. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point held a special place in her heart for its beauty, and for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who chose to attend.  Her passion was fully realized when she traveled to see the art and architecture that she'd read about. Whether it was a visit to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles with Wade, Sandy, and her niece, Danielle; or when she and Mark went to visit Nicole in Europe and toured cathedrals and museums in Germany, the UK, Italy, and the Vatican, she cherished those opportunities and memories. And, she cherished having shared them with loved ones. Before she got sick, she'd planned to see more - Portugal was next on her list.

Although all of the above may lead you to believe that to know Joan was to know someone who lived a "big" life, that couldn't be further from the truth. She also loved the simple things: a phone call with family; a coffee frap, double blended with whip at the crack of dawn; lunch with old friends; sitting with the "Back Row Gang" at church on Sunday; a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie from Flying Star; a nuzzle with one of her Bull Mastiffs; catching up on "hot goss" over a haircut or manicure; completing a cross stitch project; the joy of telling someone she loved their outfit...

Joan was proceeded by her mother, Nena; her father, Dutch; her Grossmutter, Katherine; her brother Dick; her niece, Alexis; her mother and father in-law, Ardith and Harold; her brother in-law, Harold; and many more friends and family. She spoke often of being reunited with them in heaven. We can only hope that they are all looking down on us with love.

A service for Joan will be held at 9:15 am on September 23rd, 2022, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 5712 Paradise Blvd NW - Albuquerque, NM 87114. Reception will follow at the Fischer Residence at 5:00 pm.