Benjamin Herbert Fish

Benjamin Herbert Fish was born in San Diego, California on March 1, 1929, and passed away on January 28, 2023, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Ben will be remembered as a treasured man with a great sense of humor who was friendly, kind, and generous to all those around him. He inspired others by facing life’s challenges with courage and graciousness. Photography, woodworking, and restoring vintage cars were hobbies he greatly enjoyed, and many family members and friends have happily benefited from what he created.

Ben was a Korean War Army veteran. After being honorably discharged, he worked for the City of San Diego in a number of capacities, of which he fondly told stories. He worked for the Federal Government for the Army for many years as a computer programmer and then systems analyst in San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Atlanta, GA, and Sierra Vista, AZ. As someone who was among the earliest to work with computers, he was trained in the early sixties on IBM computers. Ben retired with his beloved wife, Dot, to Boone, North Carolina, in the Appalachian Mountains. He and Dot were active with the Watauga Humane Society, helping with fundraisers and keeping their databases up to date. They also enjoyed many adventures traveling together, including cruises in the Mediterranean and journeys all around the U.K. They moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia to be closer to Lee and Pam (Dot’s son and daughter-in-law) when living on their own became difficult. Ben and Dot lived at Linwood Estates Gracious Retirement Living. They thoroughly enjoyed the staff and made many friends while there.

Ben was predeceased by his wife Dorothy “Dot” Jones Fish. He is survived by three children and their spouses and their children: Debra and Ross Tsukashima (children: Erin Tsukashima & husband, Chris Reed, and Kara Tsukashima), Robert and Margie Fish (children: Greg and Bobby Fish), and David and Sharon Fish (children: Derek Fish & wife, Stephanie Beck, and Devon Fish).

Ben is also survived by Dot’s children, Walter Lee Spivey, Jr. and wife Pamela (children: Isabella, Samuel & Lily Spivey and Julia Terrell and her husband, Bailey, & their children, Oliver and Tobias), William Spivey and wife Lora (children: Elizabeth Rhodes, Gary Jackson, Claire, Adam, Jai, Paki, and Sarada Spivey), and Dorothy Ann Spivey Bruce and her partner, Claude Caponi.

There will be no services per Ben’s instructions. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to Watauga Humane Society in Boone, North Carolina. https://wataugahumane.org/donate