Gale Woodson Fisher

Why we loved Gale Woodson Fisher, who died peacefully after a long illness at home on February 21, 2026.

 Maybe it was her curly blonde hair and blue eyes which made her the cutest of her four siblings. Or her fighting spirit, refusing to die when she was only days old, growing up to be captain of her state of Florida championship swimming team and a High School All American who competed at the Los Angeles Olympic trials (and just missed making the US team) in 1968, happy to be able to compete at that level.

 She was smart, too---valedictorian of her high school class.

 After attending Agnes Scott College in Decator, GA, she transferred to the University of Florida where family members believe to this day she had a great time. Deciding to move to Hazelhurst, Wisconsin, where her family had a summer home, she purchased a home on Lake Katherine and switched her athletic focus to learning and teaching ice skating and yoga to generations of children and adults. Her passion was her expansive flower garden where, until erecting a deer fence, she spent long summer nights camping with her dog to keep the deer out (sprinklers and lion urine didn't help).

 If she was your friend, she would do anything for you.

 She was inspired by those organizations she generously supported: the Lakeland Pantry, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, the Universalist Unitarian Church, Mt. Helix Park Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, the Howard Young Foundation and the UW Vet School in Madison. 

Most of all we loved Gale because she chose David Wenninger to be her husband of 46 years. Their care, devotion and love for each other through more than their share of challenging times, their sense of humor (always perfectly timed one line zingers), their love of travel and their beloved, captivating dogs (Maggie: unwavering love and complete devotion; Shiloh: "Get off the roof!"; Rusty: "Whose house are you running through now?"; Ori: "Never enough kisses.") made us love them even more. 

Gale was born August 13, 1949, in Louisville, KY, to Margaret Perrin Woodson Fisher and Dr. Frederick W. Fisher. She is survived by her husband, David R. Wenninger; her sister-in-law Starr Paton and her husband, Earl Paton; niece Dawn Kelly Clark; sisters, Alice Margaret Woodson Smith and husband, Joseph F. Smith, Jr. and Nancy-Leigh Fisher; niece, Alice M. Unger, her husband, Jaspal Singh and their daughter Alice-Mithali Unger Singh; sister-in-law Anne Parrish Fisher and her son, Cyrus David Fisher. She was preceded in death by her brother, Frederick W. Fisher, Jr. 

There aren't enough words to express our thanks to Margarita Sanchez, Stacey Mleko, Tori Miller, Gabi Miller, Stacy Winter, Lisa Wickline, Hilary McNew, Tammy Bjork, Jessica Wallace, Christy Myschyshyn, and Compassus Hospice for their love and support.

 In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial donations to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, 700 N. 12th Street, Wausau, WI 54403-5007 

Per her wishes, there will be no funeral service.

Online condolences may be shared at nimsgernfuneral.com

NIMSGERN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES IS SERVING THE FAMILY.