Wanda M. Fish

Wanda M. Fish, age 75, of Clinton, Mich., passed away on Monday, December 25, 2017, at Saline Evangelical Home in hospice care following several years of intensifying illness. Cremation has taken place. Internment with family present will be in Northern California at a later date.

A “Remembrance Gather-ing” of friends and family to share the joys of Wanda’s life and soften the loss is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24, 2:30 p.m. at the Clinton Inn, Green Room, Clinton, Mich. Family ask that you wear casual attire.

Wanda was born on August 5, 1942, in White Pine County, Kimberly, Nev., to Herschel and LaVerne (Tomlinson) Mathias, where her father was a welder at the Consolidated Coppermine. When the Navy called her father to San Diego, the family returned to their home town of Del Norte, Colo. Wanda’s grandfather Tomlinson operated the local blacksmith shop where she spent time. Her grandfather taught her to fish for trout in the high mountain streams. She never gave up her taste for trout nor her desire to go fishing, for almost any kind of fish.

After the war Wanda’s father found work in the Riverside, Calif. area and the family was reassembled. Wanda attended elementary school and high school in Riverside. For secondary education Wanda was assigned to Ramona High School, a brand-new building, and to a special group of students whose courses were all on an accelerated, advanced track. For one English writing course the assignment was to write and submit a story to a publication, have it printed and get paid for the submission. Wanda’s classmates and she accomplished it and got the “A.” Had they not, it would have been an “F,” the only other option for the assignment. After high school Wanda won a scholarship to Pomona College, the founding college of the Claremont College system in Claremont, Calif. At Pomona she was deeply involved in student journalism, serving as editor of “Student Life” for several terms. Wanda focused academically on American History and Philosophy.

After college Wanda began service with the U.S. government as an assistant to the Director of the Agency for International Development (AID). He was also a Pomona graduate and had requested a young writer who could help him with the agency’s communications program.

Following the AID assignment Wanda went on to similar positions in the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Treasury. In 1969 Wanda joined the staff of Herbert G. Klein, White House Communications Dir-ector, where she oversaw part of the correspondence unit preparing letters for the President’s signature on a variety of topics. Wanda also assisted in speech writing for department spokespersons as well as White House staff. For a period of time in both the Nixon and Ford administrations Wanda was responsible for compilation of the President’s daily news summary, which reviewed media from all corners of the country. One of Wanda’s proudest accomplishments during her White House service was participation in drafting of the Freedom of Information Act. She had a lifelong commitment to open government and the free flow of information.

After her White House service Wanda became the Public Information Officer for the U.S. Water Resources Council (WRC). While at the WRC Wanda was responsible for editing and coordinating publication of The Nation’s Water Resources: The Second National Water Assessment a multi-volume publication issued in 1978. The summary volume of the set became a best seller for the Government Printing Office and was reprinted multiple times.

In 1981 Wanda moved her family to Michigan to marry Jim Fish and take residence in their Hogan Road house. As she described the “arrangement,” it was a package deal involving herself, two children aged 12 and 10, Wanda’s mother, and one very large black dog—all or none. The arrangement endured! Upon arrival, Wanda took on the project of restoring and remodeling their home—a very old house. Initially it was planned as a two-and-a-half-year project, but always with more to do. About every five years there would be another part redone. As her illness progressed most recently, she still had more plans for the house. Wanda served as general contractor and daily manager of a crew that sometimes totaled 20 people, with an average age around 21. All had to be going to school in addition to their job and get good grades. The job required good communication skills to keep the workers productive and happy.

After the house was “completed” Wanda worked on several political campaigns and independent writing projects which she enjoyed a great deal.

Early in 1988 Wanda became Communications Coordinator for Michigan Gas Utilities in Monroe. She was responsible for both internal and external communications, working with employees and providing customer communications as well. She also became responsible for planning and managing the company’s corporate contributions program. She also was responsible for implementing corporate identity programs during reorganizations and ownership changes. After over seven years at MGU, Wanda moved to a Manager of Communications position with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) order in Monroe. Several of the nuns became ongoing friends, a relationship that continued beyond her employment. It was a particular joy for Wanda when Sister Helen Walling and Sister Paracleta Schnebelt served the parish in Clinton.

After her IHM assignment Wanda began to take on independent projects she could do from home. She did several articles for magazines and for a period of time wrote for the Manchester Enterprise. She later assisted Bridgewater

Township as recording secretary for the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals. She made every effort to make information freely available to residents and permit applicants.

Wanda loved books and always had a book in progress. She and her mother had read to the children as soon as they arrived. It worked because they became and still are avid readers. Wanda was involved in the formation of the Clinton Friends of the Library, whose first meeting was held in the living room of our house on Hogan Road. Our house is still filled with books even after numerous were delivered to Friends of the Library for resale, and she made monthly pilgrimages to the Friends book sales to buy children’s books for gifts. She always wanted to be prepared for a birthday or holiday so there are plenty left to distribute. Wanda also loved her gardens, especially flowers — iris which got replanted periodically, the mandated state fair zinnias, and some nostalgic daffodils. Vegetables ran the range from beans to zucchini.

Wanda also loved animals — donkeys, horses, goats, bunnies, even groundhogs (someday we’ll tell that story), but most of all, the dogs — Lady who she grew up with, Daffodil (the large black dog mentioned in the grand bargain above), Zachery who found us, Stoley who was a rescue from the Huron Valley Humane Society and Robbie, another rescue, who is still with us. All of them still loved.

Wanda is survived by her second husband, James Fish, of Clinton, her two children Arthur J. Phelan Ill (Amy Tse), of Willits, Calif., and Margaret Phelan (Ted Weinbaum), of Ossining, N.Y., her grandson, Casper, and her sister, Marilyn Brown, of Victoria, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents and one sister, Elizabeth Mathias.

Memorials preferred to Michigan Avian Experience 11691 Sheridan Road Manchester, Mich. 48158 www.miavianexperience.org or Lenawee Humane Society 705 W. Beecher St. Adrian, Mich. 49221 www.lenaweehumanesoc.org.  Arrangements are under the care of the Clinton Chapel of Handler Funeral Homes. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.handlerfuneralhomes.com.

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