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Muncie - John W. Fisher, 93, passed away Sunday, June 28, 2009 at Ball Memorial Hospital. A Memorial Service will be held 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 16, 2009 at High Street United Methodist Church. There will be no calling hours. The Meeks Mortuary and Crematory, Washington Street Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be directed to the family at http://www.meeksmortuary.com.
John Fisher was a risk taker, decision maker
for Muncie
community MUNCIE -- John Fisher was a longtime local civic leader and a formidable presence in the Muncie business community since the 1940s, friends and colleagues said Monday. Fisher, 93, died Sunday morning
after a months-long battle with He divided his final months between his winter home in Naples, Fla., his local residence at Westminster Village and a room at Ball Memorial Hospital, where the John W. Fisher Heart Center was dedicated in late January to mark his 55 years on the hospital board. Fisher was chairman of the Ball Corp. board when he retired in 1986, upon reaching the company's mandatory retirement age of 70. But retirement didn't diminish his activities -- business or philanthropic -- or his influence. Fisher, who had also served as Ball's president and chief executive officer, remained a figure in civic affairs and continued his business dealings, including the purchase just three years ago of a growing local company. Friends and business
partners remembered him Monday as a kind, principled man who was known for his
ambition and no-nonsense approach to business. Fisher himself summed up the at-times-intimidating aspects of his business personality in a 1981 article in Ball Line, the corporate newsletter. "I don't tolerate mediocrity," Fisher said. "He was a kind person, but he could also be very direct," said Kelly Stanley, former CEO of Cardinal Health System, who knew Fisher for decades. "A lot of things come to mind, words like leader, determination, compassion. He was competitive, definitely not a quitter at anything. He was very dedicated to his family and his community." "John was very sharp as a businessman, but he was very highly principled," said Van Smith, former president of Ontario Corp. "He was a good guy. We'll miss him."
Taking risks Fisher was known and revered for his business savvy, his support for his community and his family ties, as were his in-laws and other old-school captains of industry. It's appropriate that his public and private personas often seemed to be a mixture of the three. A native of the town of Walland, Tenn., Fisher was a college athlete who graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1938. He met his future wife -- Janice Ball, the daughter of Edmund F. Ball, one of the five Ball brothers who founded the canning jar company -- when they were introduced by a mutual friend. Fisher was working as a field agent for Ball and pursuing his MBA at Harvard Graduate School of Business when his brother-in-law, Edmund F. Ball, asked him to come to Muncie. Ball had joined the military and wanted Fisher to become more active in the company. After Pearl Harbor and the United States' full-blown entry into World War II, Fisher quickly finished his degree and came to Indiana full-time. "I hadn't planned to come to Muncie to work," Fisher said in 1981. "I had always thought I'd settle down in east Tennessee." Fisher quickly grew into his new role with Ball, overseeing operations of a corrugated box plant in Noblesville and construction of a glass plant in El Monte, Calif. in 1946. In 1981, then-Ball President Richard Ringoen said, "This company has grown because John Fisher was willing to take calculated risks. He has been willing to immerse himself in details that a lot of chief executives would avoid." "I take major
risks," Fisher agreed at the time. "I don't hesitate to take a very
careful look at fresh ideas, especially when capable people are Hard decisions Fisher was known for dealing with the repercussions of hard decisions. One of the hardest was the company's 1962 call to close the Ball glass plants in Muncie, costing hundreds of jobs. "The greatest disappointment of my career was to see us close down the Muncie glass plants," Fisher said in 1981. "It was a decision that had to come because they were not economical and a terrible drain on the company's resources." Fisher said his proudest moment was the company's centennial in 1980. Fisher was chairman of Ball Corp. from 1981 to his retirement in 1986, overseeing the company during a period of rapid expansion and diversification. The company, originally known as Ball Brothers and best known for its home canning products in its early decades, had annual sales of $7 million in 1941, when Fisher was hired. By the time Fisher retired in 1986, annual sales were more than $1 billion and products ranged from innovative containers to products for the aerospace industry. Ball Corp. moved its corporate headquarters from Muncie to Colorado in 1998.
No to politics Fisher was a Republican and supported GOP candidates through his influence and campaign contributions, but eschewed running for political office himself. Not that he didn't have the opportunity. In 1979, Indiana Gov. Otis Bowen suggested Fisher -- as well as Smith of Ontario Corp. -- as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate. Fisher told The Muncie Evening Press he was not interested. "I'm no politician and have no political ambitions," Fisher said. "I have a job to do here and I'm going to do it." Beyond their corporate history, the influence of the Ball family and Fisher on the community is extensive. Fisher came to be considered the public face of the family to many, particularly since the death in 2000 of Edmund F. Ball, the former Ball Corp. president and chairman and heir to the legacy of the family's rich local history. When Ball Memorial Hospital merged into Indianapolis-based Clarian Health in 2008, Fisher was quoted in the announcement press release. Fisher had served on the hospital board for 55 years and his influence was still felt. Fisher was active at High Street United Methodist Church, helping oversee the rebuilding of the structure after it was nearly destroyed in a 1978 explosion. Active in retirement Fisher retired from Ball Corp. in 1986, but hardly disappeared from local business. He was a frequent presence at local business gatherings, including Muncie Rotary Club, and weighed in when local officials talked about the future of the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce in 2008. Smith -- who as president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reached the kind of national prominence that Fisher had -- noted that he, Fisher and partner Chris Lamothe launched a business venture just three years ago, when they bought Sherry Laboratories from Smith's former company, Ontario Corp. "We've had a very pleasant three years in watching Sherry grow, and John has been a solid pillar of support and good advice," Smith said. Fisher was a mentor to young business people, including Gary Demaree, a local financial adviser who worked in the public relations department for Ball Corp. in the late 1970s. Demaree smiles as he recalls Fisher admonishing him when he was caught looking out the window during a ride on the company plane from Muncie to Chicago. Fisher tossed a business magazine at Demaree and said, "You're on company time, be productive." "There's no question that John and his experience and his judgment were a substantial influence on decisions that were made," Stanley said. "Perhaps it's been overstated that he was making every decision, but his influence was probably wider and deeper than many realize." Memories of John Fisher John Fisher was a great civic leader. He always wanted the best quality of life for Muncie citizens. He supported quality health care and economic development. He was loyal to his political party and supported political candidates that he believed in. You always knew where you stood with John. He was never short on words and his enthusiasm of Muncie was always evident. John Fisher was one of the pillars of the Muncie Community. -- David Dominick I remember touring a student art exhibit at the BSU Museum of Art. I had, of course, heard about Mr. Fisher but had never met him or seen him in person until that night. He was viewing the art and holding hands with his wife while gently telling her about the art they were looking at. He was a stately man with strong character, and his family's generosity has made a lasting impact on Ball State University, this city, this region, and the lives of many individuals. -- James E. Mitchell John was a giant of a man, and a true entrepreneur. He was a true asset to Muncie, the state of Indiana, and beyond. His forceful demeanor got things done. He, and his kind, will be sorely missed. -- Sam Reed I have an autistic son that was able to fulfill many years of longed-for viola lessons through the kindness of Mr. Fisher and the Ball Brothers' Foundation. Thank you Mr. F! -- Diane Brooks
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