CORTEZ – Vermont resident David Fisher dreamed of one day retiring and spending his winters with his wife Sue at their second home in west Bradenton. Those dreams were cut short on Aug. 17, when cancer claimed Dave’s life at the age of 59.
On Friday, Nov. 9, some of Dave’s Florida friends and loved ones will gather in his honor at the Swordfish Grill in Cortez. The befitting drink specials will be shots of Patron tequila and margaritas made with two shots of tequila and no salt – a drink known in North Hero, Vermont as a ‘David Fisher.’ Ted Stevens and the Doo-Shots will provide the live music.
Joining Sue in celebrating Dave’s love of Florida will be his aunt and uncle Ardy and Andy Cochran and his uncle Wayne Clark – fellow-Vermont natives who now live in west Bradenton. Longtime family friends and Michigan snowbirds Jackie and Randy Hansen will also be on hand.
Celebrating life
Dave and Sue were married for 36 years and have two adult daughters, Sarah and Dianna. The couple began vacationing here in the early 2000s after Dave’s mom, Marsha, bought a condominium in the Cortez Villas that would later become theirs.
While visiting three or four times a year, the couple would often start their day with friends and family members for Bloody Marys at the Bradenton Elks Lodge. This tied into their group motto: “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning.”
They’d later enjoy lunch or dinner, more drinks and maybe some live music at their favorite Cortez and Anna Maria Island establishments.
“He loved his Florida friends and family. It’s going to be totally different without him, but we will laugh and cry together as we remember him and the fun he had. His contagious laugh could be heard across the room and his smile was as bright as the Florida sun,” Sue said.
Dave spent most of his adult life working as a sales rep and regional sales manager for Burlington Drug and he brought his work to Florida with him, interacting with clients and sales reps from afar while vacationing. When Burlington Drug merged with the South Carolina-based J.M. Smith Drug Company in 2016, Dave continued as a regional sales manager.
“He worked so hard back home and he was able to relax more in Florida,” Sue said.
In his downtime, Dave loved to read. He was also an accomplished drone pilot and he brought some of his drones to Florida. He also loved to ride the Segway he’d ship down from Vermont.
Dave and Sue’s last trip to Florida was in January. At the time, Dave suspected something was wrong with his health and when they returned home their worst fears were confirmed.
In early August, Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker and a friend from Sarasota visited Dave and Sue in Vermont. That week, Dave enjoyed a lovely boat ride on Lake Champlain and despite his failing health he also drove through Vermont’s winding mountain roads for lunch and brewery visits in Stowe.
During Slicker’s last night in North Hero, Dave flew his drone for the last time and captured some beautiful aerial photos of the sunset. He passed away the following week.
