Eileen Mary Burns Fisher passed away quietly and peacefully on January 13, 2020, at the Jefferson Court Assisted Living Facility near Brookville.
She was born July 25, 1929, the eldest daughter of John Joseph “Jack” Burns and Anna Hampson Burns.
She is survived by her sister, Sarah Burns Hollyfield of Pittsburgh, PA, and her brother James J. Burns of Arizona.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Eileen earned a degree in Business Administration from Duquesne University.
She and Laurence James “Larry” Fisher married on July 9, 1949. They left Pittsburgh in 1970 to relocate to the Punxsutawney area, where they settled on her family’s farm near Anita.
Eileen held many positions outside the home. In 1970, she was appointed to the position of McCalmont Township Secretary. She co-managed the Kissing Kousins gift shop with Margie Lantz until she moved to Indiana, Pa., where she managed the Coffee Peddler in the Indiana Mall. After the shop closed in 1998, Eileen returned to live at the Mahoning Towers in Punxsutawney. Later she moved again to the farm.
Eileen was an avid watercolor artist, creating beautiful handmade cards and paintings for friends and family. She especially loved creating landscapes and still life paintings. She was an amazing cook, noted for creating her family’s favorite meal of Ox-Tails and Potato Pancakes. She had a green thumb and loved gardening as well as canning her homemade Kosher Dill Pickles and relishes from the bounty of her gardens known as Burnham Farms, which she and her husband operated for many years.
Eileen was preceded in death by her husband, Larry, in 1983.
She is survived by her five children; James L. Fisher and wife Suzie (Huddleston) of Glenshaw, Pa.; John M. Fisher and wife Shari (Holeczy) of Willits, Ca.; Marianne L. Fisher and husband Steve Phillips of Anita, Pa.; Stephen D. Fisher and wife Vonna Jo (Gaston) of Bremerton, Wa. and Richard W. Fisher and wife Brenda (Lantz) of Punxsutawney, Pa.
Eileen is also survived by six grandchildren who were the lights of her life, Erin and husband Kevin Hollenbaugh of Allison Park, Pa.; Craig and wife Katie (Clark) Fisher of Gibsonia, Pa.; Douglas and wife Allison (Crawford) Fisher of Bremerton, Wa.; Lauren and husband Bry Briggs of Gurnee, Il.; Angie Fisher of Punxsutawney; Robbie and wife Lindsay (Barrett) Fisher of Punxsutawney; and by 12 great-grandchildren whom she adored, Luke and Rebecca Hollenbaugh of Allison Park; Collette Fisher of Gibsonia; Mirryn Fisher of Bremerton; Lincoln and Arlo Briggs of Gurnee; Ryder and Reed Fisher of Punxsutawney; Sara, Danielle and Shawn Phillips of Punxsutawney; Cole Phillips of DuBois, PA; also by Kelly Knoblach of DuBois; Benjamin and wife Helena (Johnson) Miller of Punxsutawney; and by several cousins, nieces, nephews and the many friends who knew and loved her.
A wake and celebration of life will be held by her family at a later date when the weather is warm and sunny as Eileen hated being cold.
Eileen’s funeral services were entrusted to the Richard L. Fait Funeral Home, Punxsutawney, Pa.
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