FISHER, Hubert Lendall (H.L.)

Wickenburg Funeral Home & Crematory, Wickenburg, Arizona Hubert Lendall Fisher 10/05/1916 - 04/29/2014 Hubert L. Fisher, age 97, passed away April 29, 2014 in Sun City West, Arizona. Hubert was born October 5, 1916 in Cowgill, Missouri to Jacob Elmer Fisher and Beulah Clevenger Fisher. He married Maurene McConnel in 1940 in Breckenridge, Missouri and they made their home in Kanasas City, Missouri. He had worked in the airline industry in aircraft maintenance and after retiring he and wife Maurene came to Arizona from Kanas City, Missouri in 1997 settling in Wickenburg. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Wickenburg. Hubert was preceded in death by his wife Maurene in 2003. He is survived by his daughter & son in law Carol & Skip Schroer of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado and son & daughter in law Lindall & Nancy Fisher of Kent, Washington and five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Hubert's life will be held at a later date. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona Wednesday, May 14, 2014 Hubert Lendall (H.L.) Fisher was born Oct. 5, 1916, in Cowgill, Mo. He grew up on Midwest farms where he learned to be frugal, creatively inventive and a hard worker. When the opportunity arose in the mid-1930s, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in northwest Missouri. In 1937, H.L. was among the first to take a job in the fledgling airline industry at TWA (Trans World Airlines) in Kansas City, Mo. The farm experiences that formed him were great assets as he worked his way up the ladder of jobs at TWA to become the foreman of a large crew at the airline’s overhaul base. He honed a talent for managing his crews that earned their respect, loyalty and their nicknames for him --- “Iron Pants” and “Mr. Clean.” He retired from TWA in 1977. In 1940, H.L. married Maurene McConnel of Breckenridge, Mo. Ever after, he lovingly referred to Maurene as his “bride.” H.L. and his bride enjoyed traveling in their small campers -- touring the lower 48, Canada and Alaska. One of their greatest joys together was ballroom dancing. By the mid-1980s, they had become regular “Snowbirds” in Surprise. H.L. took up ATV riding with a passion -- “playing in the dirt” as he called it. In 1997, H.L. and his bride established permanent residence in Wickenburg. He rode with friends from Sunflower Resort in Surprise and later with friends in Wickenburg’s Westpark retirement community, where they lived. He referred to himself as a “Missouri hillbilly who became an Arizona desert rat.” His last ATV ride ---with family was the day before his 97th birthday -- 46 miles. H.L. was noted for his feats of engineering, self-taught from his early farming days. Working on metal projects was his avocation. He was constantly challenging himself to improve a device, make his own one-of-a-kind tool for a task, or figure out how some mechanism worked. He was an avid tinkerer. In 2003. H.L.’s bride passed away in their 62nd year of marriage. H.L. is survived by daughter Carol (Skip) of Colorado; son Lindall “Lin” (Nancy) of Washington state; four granddaughters (who he numbered by age): No. 1 Kathy, No. 2 Jeanette, No. 3 Carrie, and No. 4 Niki; grandson Nat; great-grandchildren Elizabeth, Dalton, Shayla, Tyla, Sarah, Cobin; and great-great-grandchildren Emma and James. H.L. will be dearly missed by all who knew him for his unique sense of humor, his love for his family, his iron will (never wore jeans or sneakers) and his work ethic. As he would say -- “Drive on H.L.” A memorial celebration of life will be held in the fall in Westpark, with date and time to be determined. The family has suggested memorial contributions in Hubert’s name may be made to Banner Hospice, 275 E. Germann Rd., Suite 110, Gilbert, AZ 85297. Friends may offer online condolences at www.wickenburgfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Wickenburg Funeral Home and Crematory. ~~~~~~~~~~ The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona Wednesday, November 05, 2014 A celebration of life will be held for H.L. (Hubert) Fisher from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 at Westpark Community Center, 2501 W. Wickenburg Way.