It was a special time during yesterday’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Farragut. Jackie Fisher was there along with Ray Fisher III. So was Emmette Thompson of the Mission of Hope. And the spirit and life of the late Ray Fisher was there in the room with the Rotary club he called home.
Ray was 77 when he died of a massive stroke on Sept. 30, 2020, just 372 days ago.
Ray Fisher
Thompson, the Mission of Hope’s CEO, made a presentation to Ray’s widow, Jackie, and his son, Ray III, for the commitment and support that Fisher and his company, Fisher Tire, had for the Mission and its mission. The presentation was met with a standing ovation and a few not-so-dry eyes around the room at the meeting at Fox Den Country Club.
“We need to make a difference and thank you to Farragut Rotary for making a difference,” Thompson said. “We lost an incredible friend and hero, Ray Fisher, about a year ago. His company adopted our mission. Ray was the best ambassador we could have asked for. He volunteered every Tuesday, and Fisher Tire paid for the golf shirts for our recent tournament. Today, I want to honor Ray and present these trophies to Jackie and Ray from the Mission of Hope.”
As Ray supported Farragut Rotary, Ray Jr. is a member and supporter of the Rotary Club of Bearden.
Emmette also said this about his late friend: “… We just hit it off immediately and became friends, and our friendship grew over the years. He developed a passion and belief in what the Mission does and why we do it. I feel so grateful that God put him in my life. Ray was blessed and he blessed others with his incredibly strong and giving heart and his spirit.”
To explore membership in the Rotary Club of Farragut, call 865-659-3562. Farragut Rotary meets each Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. at Fox Den Country Club. Tom King, a past president of Farragut Rotary, has served at newspapers in Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and California and has been the editor of two newspapers.