Remembering Peter Fisher

Peter Fisher -
February 28, 1923 – December 22, 2013.

Seat 5 is open. The beloved Peter Fisher passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 22, 2013, at the age of 90.

I have so many fond memories of Peter. After my father, Richard Plante, died 25 years ago, Peter, who was my best friend Jan Fisher’s father, became like a dad to me. He was easy to be around, and had a childlike interest in everything. We traveled the world together. He had an amazing “joie de vie” and loved seeing new places and trying new things. We shared a rickshaw ride in Singapore, sampled all different styles of massage in China, rode elephants in Thailand, swam at beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, shopped for bargains in Viet Nam, went to the theater in London, rode ATVs in Mexico, kissed dolphins in Curacao, drank at pubs in Ireland, took a gondola ride in Venice, and played with tigers in China.

Peter enjoyed cruising and joined me on more than 75 Card Player Cruises trips. He loved to play poker more than anyone I know. He earned his spot in the Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. I could always count on him to be the first one in the poker room in the morning and one of the last to leave at night. He entered every tournament and cashed in far more than his share. In addition to playing on our cruises, he loved to travel to poker events around the country and to play cash games and tournaments at local cardrooms in his hometown of Seattle. Peter probably made more final tables than anyone I know. In fact, he cashed at the Wild Horse Casino in a major event just three months ago.

Peter became a medical doctor at the age of 26. We called on him on most cruises to help our passengers with ailments that ranged from food poisoning, to broken bones, to life-threatening illnesses. I remember my mother taking a nasty fall in Hong Kong; the ship’s physician misread her x-ray and said she wasn’t hurt and didn’t need further attention. She was in pain, so Peter insisted on looking at the x-rays and saw some broken bones and bandaged her properly so she could heal. I remember him jumping into rough water in Costa Rica and staying there for more than an hour to keep someone who had broken his leg rafting from going into shock. He was first on the scene to treat one of our dealers who had broken his back after a nasty fall. Peter was a great diagnostician; he was always the first person I called if I needed medical advice and he was always right with his diagnosis, even over the phone.

Peter led an interesting life away from the poker table too. He was a nationally ranked tennis and table tennis player. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and loved performing on stage. He was a World War II veteran.

When Peter was nine-years old, his father died in a car crash, which sparked his interest in automotive safety. After becoming a doctor, he used his medical knowledge to effect higher safety standards and equipment in automobiles worldwide. He co-founded a professional organization known as the “Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM),” whose influence is now global. As one of the world’s foremost authorities in automotive medicine, Peter was proud to address past AAAM Presidents at its 56th annual meeting in October 2012.

Peter is survived by his two children (Jan and Roger), a granddaughter, sister, and many nieces and nephews. The poker world is missing one of its best ambassadors these days. Rest in peace Peter!

Linda Johnson
Card Player Cruises