Henry P. Fischer, Jr.

Henry Pregnall Fischer, Jr., 92, of Asheboro, NC, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2024, surrounded by his family.

He was born on March 12, 1932, to Henry P. Fischer, Sr., and Blanche O’Neill Fischer in Charleston, SC. Two years later, Henry gained a “little brother,” Jack. Together, they developed an early love for tennis, teaching themselves to play at the Moultrie Playground near their home on Bull Street. Later, their neighbor and one of South Carolina’s best women’s tennis players, Lillian Paillé Seabrook, coached the boys and remained friends for many years. In 1954, Henry graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in History. He was a distinguished men’s tennis team member, coached by Willard Silcox, Sr., who awarded him the “C” Cup in May 1953 for his outstanding competitive spirit and sportsmanship.

After college, Henry enlisted in the United States Navy as a signalman aboard the USS Tortuga. During his service, he traveled from Haiphong in the north to Tourane (now Da Nang), Saigon, and Nha Trang in the south before returning to Yokosuka to provide minesweeper support operations in Korean waters. While stationed in California, Henry played for the Long Beach Islander tennis squad. He received an honorable discharge in June 1958.

In 1964, Henry married his first wife, Ann. They had one son, Kevin, born in July 1967. During his formative years, Kevin was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. For nearly 15 years, Henry dedicated his life to ensuring that Kevin had every opportunity for a successful life. He involved Kevin in Jerry Lewis Summer Camps and American Red Cross beginner’s swimming lessons, ensuring he received a quality education and driving him across the state as Kevin served as the Jerry Lewis MDA poster child for South Carolina in 1981-82.

Kevin passed away in July 1982, a loss that Henry felt deeply for the rest of his life. He became somewhat reclusive and could initially seem distant, but once you got to know him, he was open, accepting, and eager to share his wealth of knowledge.

After Henry’s divorce and while raising Kevin, he had a distinguished career as a computer programmer and systems analyst for the Federal Government at the Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic (POMFLANT) in North Charleston. POMFLANT recognized his contributions with a Sustained Superior Performance Award, Significant Contributions Recognition for completing a CA study focused on implementing Cobol, and a Certificate of Appreciation for his contributions to the initial deployment of Trident I (C4). Near the end of his 30-year career, Henry met the widowed Carolyn Murphy O’Kelley at a church singles mixer in Charleston. They were married in November 1987.

After retiring to spend time with his “new” family, including stepson Michael and young grandson Nicholas, Henry volunteered to teach children and adults to read and became a tireless advocate for children with Muscular Dystrophy. He left a lasting impression in the North Charleston neighborhood of Aichele Terrace, where he lived until 1999.

In 1999, Henry and Carolyn moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where they became members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Clearwater. Henry enjoyed summer and holiday visits with Nicholas and taught him to play tennis during these years. He also spent quality time with his Florida relatives, including his mother-in-law, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, niece, and nephew.

In 2014, Henry and Carolyn moved to Asheboro, NC, to live with his stepson and daughter-in-law. While it was initially a difficult transition because he missed the ocean, Henry learned to love his new home and especially the wildlife surrounding it. He loved all animals, especially cats, but deer, squirrels, and birds gave him great joy in his later years.

In addition to his grandson Nicholas, he became known as Grandpa Henry to a gaggle of 'adopted grandchildren' in his later years, including Rebekah, Corbin, and Cade Jarrett; Kierstan Smith Millen; Makenzie and Kaylee Smith; and Brady and Carson Wright.

Henry was a dedicated religious studies student throughout his life, collecting thousands of books, articles, and study guides while working on a thesis based on his New Testament biblical research. Although he created 30 volumes of critical information and thought, he was never able to complete this work. In later years, Henry also studied the works of Carl Jung and Erich Neumann extensively. He was a lifelong learner and a deep-rooted supporter of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Henry remained a committed spouse until Carolyn’s passing in March 2018 after a lengthy battle with cancer. In addition to Carolyn and his parents, he also lost his son, Kevin Thomas Fischer, and his brother, Rev. John (Jack) F. Fischer.

Henry is survived by his stepson, Michael O’Kelley, and Michael’s wife, Tammy Potts-O’Kelley; his grandson, Nicholas O’Kelley, and Nicholas’ wife, Ashley, of Summerville, SC; his sisters-in-law, Marie Samec and her husband, Jim, of Gainesville, FL, and Susan Fischer of Walterboro, SC; his nieces, Shelley Samec of Gainesville, FL, and Shannon Fischer of Goose Creek, SC; his nephews, Rev. Chris Fischer and his wife, Beth, of Anderson, SC, Shawn Fischer and his wife, Andrea, of Ladson, SC, Jamie Fischer and his wife, Elaine, of Goose Creek, SC, Kirk Fischer and his wife, Andrea, of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and Brian Samec and his wife, Leslie, of Gainesville, FL. Henry is also survived by several cousins, great-nieces, and great-nephews, along with his beloved cat and constant companion, Willow Primrose Fischer. He remained close friends with his former sister-in-law, June Pop Fischer, until his passing.

In the coming weeks, Rev. Chris Fischer, Henry’s nephew, will officiate a private graveside service with full military honors at Salisbury National Cemetery. A Celebration of Life for his family and friends will occur at the home of Michael and Tammy O’Kelley, located at 1061 Rockridge Road, Asheboro, NC, on Saturday, November 30, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Greg Grisso of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Internal Medicine of Asheboro, Dr. Brian Munley of Cone Health Cardiology of Asheboro, caregivers Brenda Foust, Janet Luck, and Gail Hinesley, and family friend and frequent visitor Kimberly Kenan, with whom Henry enjoyed discussing philosophy. They would also like to thank Hospice of Randolph staff members: Dr. Patricia Shevlin, Michelle, Kari, Maddie, Tiffany, and Megan.

In honor of Henry’s memory, the family suggests making donations to the National Muscular Dystrophy Association (https://www.mda.org/ways-to-give), Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Dr., Asheboro, NC 27203, or the Randolph County Honor Guard, PO Box 1672, Asheboro, NC 27204.

“I pray I’ve done my work so that when I’ve gone from here, in all the turmoil through the wreckage and rumble, when someone finds themselves digging through the ruins, they’ll find me. Somewhere in that wreckage, they’ll find something they can use that I left behind. And if I’ve done that, then I’ve accomplished something in life.” ~James Baldwin