The 59-year-old man killed in a suspected drunk driving crash in Campbell River had dedicated three decades of his life to helping people get sober through Alcoholics Anonymous, his wife said Friday.
John Norman Fisher, 59, was minutes from home after a 45-minute drive down Highway 19 when his Honda was hit head-on by a Volvo driven by a 28-year-old man about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday. No charges have been laid but Campbell River RCMP are investigating speed and alcohol as factors on the part of the younger man.
“[Fisher] dedicated a lot of time and energy helping people with alcohol problems,” said his wife of 14 years, Jodi Cohen. “So the irony of him being killed by a drunk driver is noticeable.”
Fisher died instantly. The other driver was taken to Campbell River and District Regional Hospital and then Victoria General Hospital with serious injuries.
“He was a wonderful loving man who was respected in the community and loved by lots of people. He was 59 years old and he’s dead now because someone was drinking and driving,” said Cohen, 57.
Fisher was a community support worker for people with disabilities at a group home in Buckley Bay and made the 45-minute drive at night twice a week, Cohen said.
On Tuesday night, as was his practice, Fisher called his wife to say he was leaving work.
When he was running late, she called the RCMP to see if there had been any road delays. She was told the highway was shut down because of a crash but couldn’t get more information. She called local hospitals, but couldn’t locate Fisher.
“And then at 1 a.m., I got a knock on the door — and they don’t knock on the door to tell you someone’s injured. They knock on the door to tell you someone’s dead,” she said, breaking into tears.
Cohen said Fisher had decided a week ago to quit the job because they didn’t feel it was safe to be driving long distances at night.
The couple moved from Calgary to Campbell River to retire about a year ago, Cohen said. In Calgary, Fisher worked at a detox centre and acted as a sponsor for several people through Alcoholics Anonymous.
Fisher had talked about travelling to Asia, doing some woodworking and just enjoying the West Coast wilderness.
Cohen was planning his 60th birthday party for July.
Fisher has two daughters, including Kaitlin Andrusyk, 23, who lives in Alberta with her 18-month-old son, Logan.
Fisher’s 82-year-old father, who lives in Washington state, will come to Campbell River this weekend to bury his son, Cohen said.
“This is something you read about in the paper, you think happens to other people. When you become that other person, it’s horrible.”
Fisher said she posted the news on both her husband’s and her own Facebook pages, and was overwhelmed by the people expressing grief at the loss.
“He was a good, kind, caring, wonderful, loving human being,” Cohen said. “And the world has lost a good person.”
