Dr. Michael J Fisher

Easton, MD. Michael Joseph Fisher, M.D., beloved husband, father, grandfather, physician and community member passed away on August 2nd, surrounded by the love of family and friends. Michael was born on October 20, 1956, in Baltimore MD, the son of Joanne and John E. Fisher. He was the second of four children and the only boy. Mike’s childhood was shaped by his close family as well as the richness of Baltimore’s cultural opportunities and the energy to explore and appreciate the world around him. Among these, was an early entrepreneurial streak selling snow cones at a neighborhood stand with his sister, which later grew into a mobile step van featuring the syrupy treats so beloved by Baltimorians. A lifelong love of the Orioles and the Colts found him at many games through the years. He loved listening to O’s games on a transistor radio at night when the signal was best. When the Colts left Baltimore, a sad day, Memorial Stadium soon would vanish, but not before Mike saved a couple of the bright blue wooden seats from the upper deck. These graced his front porch for years and solicited many friendly comments from guests. High School brought adventures in DJ-ing at the school radio station. Living in an era of amazing music encouraged Mike’s lifelong love of all genres and he attended many concerts throughout the years, singing along to the hits. After graduating from Dulaney High School, Mike chose the University of Maryland College Park. Those 4 years were special to Mike- the university offering him a veritable garden of interesting topics to study. A Bio-Chem major, he chose Soil Studies as a minor, a field that he seriously considered pursuing. So attracted to this field was he that he even won some soil judging competitions. He took advantage of the variety of classes at U of MD, even taking a class in bee-keeping. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and stayed at Maryland for his medical school years. A residency in Internal Medicine at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore was followed by a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Virginia Hospital. He met the love of his life, Karen, during his time in medical school. Finding the perfect life partner who would share his passion for travel, his interest in new cultures and activities while at the same time enjoying career paths in medicine that helped so many on the Shore, made his life complete. She was his rock and he always considered marrying her to be the best thing he ever did. She was beautiful, smart, resilient and became the mother of their two amazing children. They moved to Easton in 1989, after he accepted a position with Dr. Bill Banfield. These were exciting times with treatment advancements that he embraced wholeheartedly. He and Dr. Banfield developed the Digestive Health Center, once one of the most advanced community endoscopy centers in the country, which is still operating today. At its inception, DHC’s renown was such that medical professionals from around the country came to take a look at what they’d created. Many advanced GI cancers have been prevented and treated in our community due to its presence and the expertise of its physicians, techs and nurses. Mike had found the right career path, in a specialty that was fertile ground for many discoveries and new treatments. He was blessed with way of talking to patients that enhanced the medical interaction, which he loved. He believed that in understanding his patients better, they would have more positive, meaningful outcomes. He was an attending physician throughout his career, but also served as Chief of Medicine at Easton Memorial and Talbot County Medical Society President during his tenure. Since coming to Easton in the late 80s, he took pride in working alongside many esteemed medical colleagues and staff, retiring in 2018 due to a very serious and publicly visible journey with prostate cancer. Mike and Karen traveled the world together. Their trips to Columbia, Japan, India, Cambodia, Laos, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Denmark, Norway, France and Spain to name a few, made his life all the richer. He was famous for his travel photo books that he created upon returning from a trip and loved sharing them with friends and family. He was known for his energy, joie de vivre, and chocolates in his pockets. His lab coat typically flew behind him as he walked/ran through the hospital hallways, often helping in patient transport when the schedule was in jeopardy. Post-retirement, and post-treatments, he found he had more service to give besides what he had provided during his career. He was on the Board of Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation, Shore Regional Health Covid Response Team, Shore Regional Health Strategic Planning Committee, Qlarant Foundation Board, and Talbot Hospice Board. serving as Chair of the Patient Care and Quality of Care Committee, leaving Talbot Hospice as one of the Five-Star Hospices in the State of Maryland. He shared the Chesapeake Charities’ Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service and presented scholarships on several occasions to University of Maryland School of Medicine graduates who planned to use their education to focus on cancer research. In the spring of 2026, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Talbot County, an honor he cherished. He served on the Vestry of Christ Church, Easton, and as a lay reader and usher. Mike and Karen were together for 44 years. She guided and supported the family through the life changes that existed for the 10 years of Mike’s illness. In addition to Karen, he is survived by his son Aidan Michael Fisher (Caitlin), daughter Nina Thompson (Conor), and as of this point, 3 grandchildren, Emma Louise Thompson, Holt Michael Fisher, Fern Elizabeth Fisher, three sisters (Judy Funk, Mary Rykiel, and Betsy Fisher), and innumerable friends, colleagues and former patients. In Mike’s words- “In medicine, you can always give back. People really appreciate what you can do for them. It’s a real encounter, a real relationship.” Memorial contributions may be made to Talbot Hospice, University of Maryland School of Medicine Rural Health Scholars Program, Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation, or Christ Church, Easton.

Dr. Michael J Fisher

October 20, 1956 - August 2, 2026