In Memoriam: Longtime member Al Fischer dies

Alfred Kaufman Fischer, 94, of Phoenix, died on Jan. 1, 2018.  Al and his wife, Mildred, were ardent atheists and longtime members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Al was born into a Jewish family in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and moved to New York City with his family at an early age. After going through his bar mitzvah at the age of 13, he told his parents that he didn’t believe in the religion and never wished to attend services again.

Al and Mildred Morris were married in 1950 and moved to Phoenix, where they resided for more than 65 years. Al had a varied career, mostly in the newspaper business. Al and Mildred established a local newspaper, The South Phoenix Round-up, which they published for seven years.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State, Al taught at Phoenix Union High School, then moved on to Scottsdale Community College, where he was the public information officer. In their spare time, Al and Mildred formed Golden West Publishers, which specialized in cookbooks and Western nonfiction. Together, they wrote a number of books, including Mexico’s West Coast Beaches, Arizona Cook Book, Arizona Crossword Puzzles, and Arizona Museums.  Al and Mildred traveled extensively in Europe, Russia and Mexico. 

Al was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred, in 2017, and is survived by his three children and their spouses, Linda and Dick Thomas, Lee and Shayne Fischer, Bruce and Bobbi Fischer, and three grandchildren, Phillip Horn, Aaron Salts and James Alfred Thomas.