Park rededication honors judge

Arthur O. Fisher Park now features memorial to Tuskegee Airman.

While the new Montgomery County Fairgrounds and Event Center might be the main attraction now at Arthur O. Fisher Park in Jefferson Twp., Montgomery County aims to keep alive the historic legacy of the park and memory of its namesake.

On Friday, state, county and township officials along with family members of Fisher rededicated the park and unveiled a memorial to the Tuskegee Airman, the first African-American hired in the county’s prosecutor’s office and longtime juvenile court judge.

Fisher retired in 1994 and died in 2002 at age 82 while living in Hilton Head, S.C.

“We are so happy that they chose Arthur O. Fisher Park (for the fairgrounds), but we also don’t want to lose what Arthur Fisher Park stood for and why we named it that,” said Montgomery County Commission President Debbie Lieberman. “Judge Fisher really was the father of our incredible juvenile court system that we have in Montgomery Count. So we definitely want to honor his legacy.”

Fisher’s three daughters — Teri Trotter, Shellee Fisher and Tracy Singetary — helped unveil a plaque that lists some of their father’s groundbreaking achievements.

Landon O’Neil Singletary said Friday’s event was special for Fisher’s descendants and the memory of his grandfather.

“It’s hard to believe that after he’s been gone for 18 years, that so many people still remember his name,” Singletary said. “It just means a lot to my family.”

The memorial consists of a path that leads to a resting spot near the park’s lake where a large boulder holds the plaque.

A new website, www.arthurofisher.org, has also been developed to highlight Fisher’s life.