Excerpted from the service for Sally held on January 21st, 2023 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine:
Sara Ann “Sally” Fisher was a co-founder of Friends of Inwood Hill Park, a founding member of Washington Heights, Inwood Food Council, and a member and the treasurer of Manhattan Community Board 12. In recognition of her groundbreaking work, Sally was the recipient of the Senator Jackson 2021 Woman of Distinction Award. She passed away at home in New York City in the presence of her loving family on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 65 years young.
When remembering Sally, former Manhattan Borough President and current NYC Council Member Gail Brewer wrote, “Sally was beloved for her brilliance, her compassion, and her knowledge about the environment, food, the arts and many other topics. I was honored to appoint her to Community Board 12 and it was always fun to see her pick up on points that other members had missed or mis-stated. She was elected to the position of Treasurer because her integrity was never questioned; it was held in high esteem.”
And from current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine: “I witnessed her advocacy to address mental health and substance abuse disorders, inequities in the provision of public health services, and environmental issues, such as waste reduction, water quality, green infrastructure, food justice, urban agriculture, and community gardening. That I was able to proclaim Sunday November 13 2022 “Sally Fisher Appreciation Day” in the Borough of Manhattan as the Manhattan Borough President is but a small contribution to the accolades she deserves. It will be difficult to imagine civic life in Upper Manhattan without her presence.”
Sally was the beloved mother of Will Fisher, a brilliant international champion chess player who preceded her in death at a tragically young age. In the face of this unimaginable loss, in addition to donating his organs, Sally made the bold and brave decision to donate Will’s face, changing forever the life of a very deserving young man. Sally leaves behind two sisters Ellen DePasquale (Robert) and Prudence (David Lowenthal); a brother, Frederick; two half siblings, Amy Meeker (David) and Kurt; six nieces, two nephews and numerous cousins.