Former University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member Richard Eric Fish DVM, PhD passed away on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 72, after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle.
An informal celebration of life gathering will be held from 3-5 p.m., April 23, 2023, at the Cascades Clubhouse, located at 6700 Port Orchard Drive, Columbia, Missouri.
He was born Oct. 11, 1950, in Newark, New Jersey. He earned an undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a master of science degree from Rutgers, and a doctorate in veterinary medicine and a PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
From February 1988 to October 1998, he served as the associate director of laboratory animal medicine, now known as the Office of Animal Resources, at the University of Missouri. He retired in 2018 after a long tenure on faculty at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret (Peg) Hogan of Raleigh, North Carolina, sister, Susan Krager of Cape Carteret, North Carolina, nephew, Joseph Krager and wife, Crystal Tay Krager, niece, Jessica Krager Robinson and husband, Matt Robinson, all of Raleigh, and stepsons Brian Grove and his wife, Miranda, of Columbia, Missouri, and Neil Grove and his wife, Anitra, of Hillsborough, North Carolina. He is also survived by two grandnieces and five step-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Elisabeth Hewlett Fish, father, Harwood Eric Fish, and a nephew, Jason Krager.
Dr. Fish loved teaching, mentoring and advocating for others. He helped to mold and promote the careers of countless veterinary professionals at the University of Missouri and in the Research Triangle Lab Animal Residency Program. He was a fierce defender of anyone who was treated unfairly and was fondly known for his wicked red pen when reviewing research papers and editing professional texts. Upon retirement, he became a volunteer at the Wake Tech Community College Beltline Center, where he was known as a kind and patient tutor.
He was an avid sailor, bicyclist and hiker. His dog and pal, Snoopy, always stayed close by him on the boat and the trails.
Memorial donations can be made to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine Comparative Medicine Program (Wagner Fellowship), or by mail at: 407 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, MO, 65211
The MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri’s only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Thank you for exploring how you can partner with us to make a positive difference in the lives of animals and people.