Kelly Danielle Fisher

In the presence of her family, Kelly Fisher went to be with Jesus the morning of June 6th, after a 3 ½ year battle with cancer. Kelly was 52 years old. She was born Kelly Danielle McColaugh on December 20th, 1973, to Jack and Janice McColaugh in Seattle, Washington. She had a modest upbringing in Bellevue, WA, where her father worked as a local schoolteacher, and her mother worked various jobs while raising kids. Kelly spent her early years exploring the neighborhood with her sister Shannon and various childhood friends. She later attended Interlake High School, where she participated in soccer, basketball, tennis, and played clarinet in concert and jazz bands. Kelly was elected as the first female ASB president in school history her senior year and was voted by her peers “Most Likely to Plan the 10 Year Reunion” – which she’d happily tell you she didn’t do. Kelly attended Western Washington University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in communications. It was there that she met her husband of 28 years, Todd Fisher. They were married on March 7th, 1998, in Kirkland, Washington, and spent their initial married years together in Issaquah, Washington, where Kelly worked in marketing for Microsoft. Seeking a less hectic pace, Todd and Kelly moved to Bellingham in 2002 after Todd was hired with the Bellingham Fire Department. There, they started a family, and Kelly devoted her time to staying home with their two young children, Avery and Ben. When the kids were in middle school, Kelly returned to WWU to get her master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. She then began a second career working for the Mount Vernon School District as an SLP at Centennial Elementary, where she endeared herself to staff and students alike. Kelly was a friend to many. She maintained lifelong relationships from the various chapters of her life that included her high school girl friends, her college roommates, her local women’s group, her church, and her crew of outdoor enthusiasts – plus many more close friends that she picked up along the way. She had a gift for welcoming people in with a disarming smile, quick wit, an infectious laugh, and a genuine heart. Time spent with friends usually took precedence over non-essential life tasks, and it was not uncommon for her to have up to three different walks with friends lined up in a single day – usually in the form of a forested trail with one or both of her dogs. She had a knack for seeing people on the fringe and bringing them into the fold. She loved to be active and exercise, nearly always with a buddy in tow. Although she would not have described herself as an elite athlete, she loved to participate in most outside activities and challenge herself. Her favorite pastimes included walking, hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing and boating. Kelly competed in several triathlons over the years and eventually worked up to a Half Ironman. She was always determined to give whatever it took to reach the finish line. Above all else, Kelly loved her family. She set her kids as her top priority, attending every single sporting match and concert, worrying a little too much about their whereabouts, and celebrating all of their accomplishments with encouragement and enthusiasm. She had a knack for organizing and easily filled the role of family event planner – she brought immediate and extended family together for birthdays and holidays, wrote cards, purchased gifts, organized the kitchen calendar, and scheduled family vacations. Despite the fact that her husband and kids weren’t always enthused about the “forced family fun” she mandated, her persistence in making things happen always resulted in smiles and lasting memories. Kelly was truly a ray of light to all of those who knew her. She is survived by her husband Todd; her children Avery and Benjamin; her father and stepmother, Jack and Susie; her sister Shannon; brother-in-law and sister in-law Lance and CJ; her nieces Sarah (Riley) and Hannah; her nephews Paxon and Beckett, and father-in-law (aka “spare” dad) Paul. A memorial service for Kelly will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, July 11th, at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham, located at 1031 N Garden Street. A live stream will be available at https://youtu.be/i3LHvgZNP-4

Kelly Danielle Fisher

December 20, 1973 - June 6, 2026