Jesse G. Fisher

On Saturday, June 13, 2026 Jesse Fisher of Fond du Lac, WI (formerly of Oshkosh) went home to meet his Lord and Savior surrounded by his loved ones at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin after sustaining a severe brain injury from a fall.

Jesse was born on September 8, 1956 to Patricia R. (Fenrich) and Harold D. Fisher on the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois.

Jesse attended Oshkosh North High School. He served in the Army 5th Special Forces from 1974-1978, stationed at Ft. Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina. He enjoyed jumping out of airplanes, marksmanship, and the action that came with being in the Special Forces. After his service was finished, Jesse worked in the shipyards as a welder in Manitowoc but public service was calling him. He enrolled at Fox Valley Technical College and became a paramedic, taking a job with Gold Star Ambulance Service while working on his degree in Fire Science. He was hired by the Oshkosh Fire Department in 1988.

Jesse met the first love of his life, Sharon Mathias and they were married on July 18, 1981. They welcomed their first child Alyssa Marie in 1982 and son Zachary David completed their family in 1984. Sadly, Alyssa and Sharon proceeded Jesse in death.

On Memorial Day 2007, Jesse met the second love of his life Denise Clumpner at the Omro Car Show. They began dating a few weeks later and were married on July 25, 2008 on the spot where they met in Omro in front of the GTO and the Camaro, surrounded by their friends, family and classic vehicles. The following day was the car show reception, which included dash plaques for bringing your classic car or motorcycle. Guests were delighted when the couple left in each of their cars with the words “Just” on the Camaro’s rear window and “Married” on the rear of the GTO. Their honeymoon was spent driving down Rt. 66 to St. Louis to see Chuck Berry perform at Blueberry Hill as well as exploring the Mother Road. Both their lives changed forever as they moved forward together as best friends, husband and wife, and partners in automotive activities. Weekends were filled with friends, concerts and car shows, and they called each other “Camaro Guy” and “GTO Girl”. They roamed the roads of the United States exploring. They attended the Iola Car Show together religiously and tons of local shows in and around Wisconsin. So many new friends were added to their classic car family during these amazing adventures.

Jesse retired from the Oshkosh Fire Department where he served from January 31, 1988 until December 29, 2015. He remained a member of the International Association of Retired Firefighters. Jesse was also a Certified Auto Detailer and member of the International Detailing Association, preparing many competitive classics for high-level shows. He attended SEMA in Las Vegas for many years until his health no longer permitted him to participate.

Jesse never met a tire he couldn’t smoke and loved doing burn-outs for anyone who asked. One year on the Hot Rod Power Tour, he burned his rear tires up so badly, he had to call ahead to the next city on the tour to secure another set! He was known to smoke ‘em until the car was no longer visible, creating a great, roaring cloud of smoke and leaving rubber in flames on the pavement. Jesse greatly enjoyed going to Race Car Experiences at various tracks with his brother Scott where they fed their need for speed together. Jesse was a kind and compassionate man who loved animals, helping to rescue many creatures during his lifetime.

He was very proud of his mother Pat, a wildlife rehabber who has fought to protect, save, band and rehabilitate many varieties of birds through her rescue, The Feather. Jesse enjoyed gathering Monarch caterpillars with Denise, feeding and protecting them until they emerged and could be released. Jesse had the heart of a servant and always wanted to help others. He might have fought you fiercely as an elected officer of the Oshkosh Firefighter’s Union for his brothers, but he would be the first person to offer compassionate help to you when it was needed.

In 2015, Jesse was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Jesse proceeded with strength, courage and dignity while searching for ways to slow the progression and extend the quality of his life. He was grateful to spend nearly eleven years after that diagnosis thumbing his nose at the one-to-three years he was initially given to survive.

Jesse loved loud, fast cars (especially his 2002 Camaro SS and his 1967 GTO), Led Zeppelin, eggs in the morning, coffee spiked with Fireball, Tito’s and cranberry, laughing with his friends, hanging with his brothers from the fire department, doing burnouts, traveling with his Power Tour family, warm summer days, working on cars, helping others, chicken drum sticks, the band America, pizza (especially from Paddy’s), cats and kittens, being silly with “China Girl”, blue jeans, wine tasting, betting on Packers/Bears games with his brother-in-law Dave, birdwatching, Christmas lights, spoiling his sweetheart Denise, time with his family, and his faith. Jesse attended First Presbyterian Church in Fond du Lac, and would openly share that he only survived the tragedies in his life because he trusted God and believed Jesus was his friend. He had the incredible power to make you a better person because of the examples he set for others. He will be missed every day by all who loved him.

Jesse is survived by his loving wife of 18 years, Denise Clumpner; his mother, Patricia Fisher; son Zac Fisher; grandson Ben Fisher; brother Scott Fisher (Cynthia); nephew Austin Hoppe (Cassie); niece Mackenzie Huber Chesser (Eric); niece Rachel Fisher; aunt Nancy Davis; mother-in-law Patricia Clumpner; father-in-law Harold Clumpner; brother-in-law Bruce Clumpner (Lori); sister-in-law Dawn Nelson (Dave); great-nieces and nephews Reese, Wade, Moxie, Monroe, Maxwell, Elliot and Emmett; best chummy John Gee (Renee); loyal “adopted daughter” Kayla Mueller; numerous Fisher, Fenrich, and Davis cousins, his firefighter family, classic car and Power Tour family, and his beloved feline friends Phoenix, Bunkie, Monte and Juliet. Special thanks to our neighbor and friend Dennis Thiel for his unwavering support and to our firefighter family for the countless ways they have helped us over the years. You truly define the meaning of the word family. We would also like to express our gratitude to John Sprader of Family Acupuncture in Ripon for treating Jesse’s ALS

Our family would like to thank the amazing nurses, neurology team and clergy at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin for their incredible care of Jesse in his last days. Your love and kindness meant more to us than you could ever know. Although Jesse did not live to see a cure for ALS, he wanted that hope for others. He generously donated tissue after his passing to the ALS Brain Bank for research, putting no limits on their usage in the future. His hope was that the reason for his longevity could be found and in turn, contribute to a cure for this terrible disease.

A Celebration of Jesse’s life will be held on Thursday, June 25th at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Home located on 100 Lake Pointe Drive, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Visitation begins at 10:00 am and the service will begin at 1:00. PLEASE NOTE: In honor of Jesse, please wear your favorite car, truck, motorcycle or rock band shirt. Blue jeans are encouraged. Weather-permitting, please drive your classic vehicle.

After the service, we will gather at The Bar (825 N. Washburn Street, Oshkosh) for pizza (Jesse’s favorite meal) and to share memories, stories and antics. Parking for classic vehicles will be on the north side of the parking lot.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Jesse’s name that will be used to help others in need.