Rochester, NY: July 7, 1941 – March 21, 2020
Barbara A. Warrick-Fischer – was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, world traveler, master artist, writer, quilter, lifelong learner and friend of many – died of colon cancer on March 21 at age 78 at Highland Hospital in Rochester, NY.
Barb was born July 7, 1941 in Madison, Wisconsin, the daughter of Louis and Mary Jane Warrick. She grew up in Madison and Washington DC and, as a young adult, attended George Washington University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology. She then attended graduate school at The University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied endocrinology.
While living in Madison, she met and married Paul A. Fischer, her husband of 42 years, and they moved to Rochester, NY where they raised their daughter.
Over her 20-year career in graphic arts, one of Barb’s proudest accomplishments was starting her own firm, Panache Graphics. During that time, she designed multi-media campaigns for numerous prominent businesses, school districts and non-profit organizations.
Through retirement, Barb thrived on being creative and used her many talents to make art friends around the globe through the creation and exchange of thousands of “art cards”. She also volunteered in the quilting group at Calvary Community Church of The Nazarene and made dozens of beautiful quilts for newborns in the NICUs of various hospitals. She was a member of various writers’ groups and her stories were published in several books and publications.
Barb touched countless lives through her sense of humor, compassion, community service, and philanthropy, and led her life with grace, intuition, resilience, and determination. She is survived by a dynamic community of her friends and relatives, near and far.
A celebration of Barb’s life will be announced at a later time. Tribute donations can be made in Barb’s name to the Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc.
this is a wonderful tribute to my dear friend whom I will sorely miss
Didn’t know you but a few years, enjoyed every minute we shared in quilting and church. You were a sweet sweet soul.
My dear friend, you will live on in the hearts and memories of your family, and the numerous friends you’ve met on your remarkable journey of life. I’m blessed to have been your friend. “Till we meet again…”
Jill
We are blessed to have known her and to have shared her incredibe energy & style. She’s smiling on us now..
I am so sorry and very sad , my dear friend Bee passed away. We knew each other since 2006. Everything in the tribute text is true…she was such a sweet person, always interested , a great artist, I feel so blessed to have known her. She will always be in my memory, I feel so lucky we traded so many art cards. Each and every one of them is so beautiful, piece by piece I love them all and for me they will stay little witnesses of her friendship and talent.
My sincere condolences to her daughter -she was so proud of you, to her son-in-law and her grandchildren which she loved dearly. Wishing you strength and courage for this deep loss. She is not far away, she is in all the lifes she touched by her kindness and her talents.
(translated Dutch poem by Kris Gelaude))
Maybe, from now on
I should learn to live with empty spaces.
Or shall I keep the windows open
and always the lights turned on
in the rooms of my soul.
For somewhere in me, you live,
you speak, you laugh, you sing, you wait.
Nothing or nobody
will ever be able to take you away.