James Walter Fischer

James Walter Fischer died Aug. 1. He was 79.  

Fischer was born on Sept. 7, 1943, to Walter Carl Wilhelm Fischer and Pauline Katherine (Thaemert) Fischer in Twin Falls, Idaho. He attended Trinity Lutheran School. In 1956, the family moved to Lodi, California. During high school, he worked as a lab technician at Lodi Memorial Hospital. He graduated from Lodi Union High School in 1961. He continued his education at San Joaquin Delta College before transferring to the University of the Pacific with a scholastic scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from UOP in 1965 with high honors. During breaks from UOP, he worked as a summer student at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (LRL). In 1966, he began his professional career as a chemist at LRL, which eventually became Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He retired in 2005. 

He is survived by his wife Patricia, son Matthew, daughter-in-law Kathleen, grandson Michael, and sister Gloria Todd. Jim was predeceased by his parents, Walter and Pauline, and his brother Tom.

A funeral service will be held on Aug. 23, at 10 a.m. at the Callaghan Mortuary, 3833 East Ave., with the burial at 11:30 a.m. at the Roselawn Cemetery, 1240 N Livermore Ave. A reception will follow.