Franklin G. (Greg) Fisk
Western Michigan University Professor Emeritus of Science Studies
June 27, 1931 – December 28, 2011
December 28, 2011, Franklin “Greg” Fisk died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. His wife of 54 years, Kay Moots Fisk, was by his side. His family gathered at his bedside in the hours before his death.
Greg Fisk is survived by his wife Kay, his daughter Karla Fisk and her husband Philip T. Simpson of New York, NY, his son Kevin Fisk, Kevin’s wife Patricia Aidan and Greg’s grandson Aeolian Aidan of Kalamazoo, and his daughter Kirsten Fisk and her husband Douglas Munson of East Lansing, Michigan. Greg is also survived by his sister Julie Fisk Jolliffe, her husband Richard, and their family of San Diego, California; and his brother Thomas Templeton Fisk and his wife Dell and their family, also of San Diego, California.
Greg was born in Newton, Kansas on June 27, 1931, and grew up in El Dorado, Kansas. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Kansas (K.U.), then volunteered to be drafted into the US Army during the Korean war. Greg served at Ft. Riley, Kansas where, as chef to the General, began his love of cooking fine international cuisine. Following his discharge from the Army, Greg earned a masters degree from K.U., and then taught high school science in Kirksville, Missouri. It was while Greg was in Kirksville that he met his bride, Kay Moots. Greg returned to K.U. where he earned a Ph.D., and he and Kay began their family.
Greg was a gifted and inspiring lifelong educator, teaching education and history of science at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University), Penn State University, and Western Michigan University, from which he retired in 1997. As a university professor, Greg also wrote two science textbooks that each went into multiple editions.
Greg also traveled extensively in central Europe and taught scientific English to Hungarian medical doctors at the Hungarian Technical University.
Greg was an active member of First Baptist Church in Kalamazoo. He combined his dedication to First Baptist with his deep love of music, and was instrumental in raising money for First Baptist’s Le Tourneau organ and Fazioli concert grand piano. Greg was passionate about contemporary classical music and regularly traveled to performances both locally and at the Tanglewood Festival. Along the way he created a substantial collection of significant contemporary classical music recordings.
In honor of Professor Fisk’s joyful love of music, his family has created an annual musical composition award in his name at Western Michigan University’s School of Music. The award will be given to a WMU student composer for a musical composition that in some way expresses joy.
In lieu of flowers, they ask that all memorial donations be directed to the Franklin G. Fisk Composition Award at Western Michigan University (WMU) Foundation. All donations directed to the Fisk Composition Award are tax-deductible.
Donations may be made online directly to the Fisk Award at WMU Foundation:
* Donations directed to the Franklin G. Fisk Composition Award may also be mailed to: Western Michigan University Foundation, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403
Instead of flowers, they ask that memorial donations be directed to the Franklin G. Fisk Composition Award at the Western Michigan University (WMU) Foundation. All donations directed to the Fisk Composition Award are tax-deductible.
Donations may be made directly to WMU Foundation online via: http://bit.ly/fiskaward .
Donations directed to the Franklin G. Fisk Composition Award may also be mailed to the Western Michigan University Foundation, 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403