J. Eldon Fisher

ALLEGANY — Jesse Eldon Fisher, 92, recently of Allegany, and a former longtime resident of Hinsdale, passed away Wednesday (June 4, 2025) at Bradford Manor, where he had resided the past six months.

Born Oct. 3, 1932, in The Dalles, Ore., he was one of three children born to Jesse Eldon and Freda V. Logan Fisher. On Oct. 16, 1953, at Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church in Portland, Ore., he married Delcina Effie Anderson, who predeceased him in 1981. On Oct. 1, 1983, at Christ United Methodist Church in Olean, he married Ann Warner Watson Shields, who predeceased him Sept. 16, 2021.

Eldon was raised in Gresham, Ore. After the death of his father during his high school years, Eldon, his mother and sisters, moved to Portland. He graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland and was athletic in baseball, basketball and football.

He began working for the First National Bank in Portland until he was drafted in 1955 into the U.S. Army. A portion of his 21-month service was spent in Germany which provided him with some cultural memories he would fondly think back on. He was an army reservist until 1961.

He enjoyed working for a number of years for Boeing Aircraft Co. in Moses Lake, Wash., which was during the development of the Titan Missile project.

After the arrival of his daughter Diane, he and his wife Del moved to the eastern United States and first settled in the town of Olean, and later in Hinsdale in 1973. They soon welcomed two more children, Robin and David, into the family.

He started a long career with the railroad, first with the Erie Lackawanna which later became part of Conrail. He was a railroad inspector and worked on many road crossings and bridges throughout Western and Central New York prior to his retirement in the early 1990s.

Eldon was a conversationalist and would leave an impression with so many people he would meet, even if briefly. He was humble, a man of faith, loving to all and a believer in the words taught in the Bible. He admirably, although quietly, cared for both his wives during their final years of illness. His mother was blessed to live her last years after moving east to be near him.

He was a coach during his children’s younger years in school sports, especially baseball. Even after the age of 90, he traveled alone to visit family between New York and South Florida. His most recent trip was to California to visit his children and grandchildren. His failing mobility in the last year limited his travel but did include almost daily visits with his friends at the coffee shops, monthly dinners at the Allegany Legion and day trips to the Rochester area to visit his grandchildren and stepdaughter, Brenda.

Eldon was a 32nd degree Mason and served as a Past Master. He was a former longtime member of Christ United Methodist Church and attended St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church with his wife Ann with whom he also enjoyed being a member of Hinsdale Guys and Gals. They both loved the years they spent designing, building and living in their dream home on Union Hill Road in Hinsdale.

He was a Dodgers baseball fan and was an avid Green Bay Packers fan since the late 1930s and he recently took pleasure in visiting Lambeau Field. He enjoyed boating and riding motorcycles for many years.

Although you would almost always find him in a pleasant mood, the true indicator was when he spoke or sang funny nursery rhymes from days of old, likely taught to him by his mother Freda who was a gifted poet.

The family is grateful for the care shown to him during his recent Olean General Hospital stays, and for the six months of care at Bradford Manor.

He leaves behind three children, Diane (Mike) Neff of Royal Oaks, Calif., Robin (David Anderson) Fisher of Boulder Creek, Calif. and David Fisher of Spokane, Wash.; a stepdaughter, Brenda Watson Casey of Henrietta; six grandchildren, Alaina (Daniel) Moore, Chad (Rachel) Casey, Briana (Ryan Cronin) Casey, Chani Neff, Alia (Josh York) Neff and Jeremy (Tricia Reynolds) Fisher; eight great-grandchildren, Sadie, Carter, Quinn, Eamon, Isaac, Alyssa, Aiden and Harlow; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to the deaths of Delcina and Ann, he was predeceased by two sisters, Yvonne Smith in 1991 and Lina M. Crane in 2024; and an infant son, Randy R. Fisher in 1959. He was also predeceased by a stepson, Tracy Shields.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. today (June 10, 2025) at the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home, 3128 W. State Road, Olean. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday (June 11, 2025) in the funeral home. Pastor Kim Rossi, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, will officiate. Burial will follow in Pleasant Valley Cemetery with full military honors being accorded by the Allegany American Legion Ritual Team.

Memorials may be made to the Allegany American Legion, 4350 NY 417, Allegany, NY 14706; or to the Hinsdale Fire Department, 3832 Church St., Hinsdale, NY 14743.