My Friend & Brother, Mike Fisher, has Died

Fine Arts/Humanities Instructor 

Arkansas Northeastern College

The above is a picture of Michael Alan Fisher of Jonesboro, Arkansas. I just got word that he has passed away. I met "Mike" when he was a speech professor at Wingate University in my home county of Union here in North Carolina. He and I are roughly the same age, I was born October 5th, 1955 and he was born February 28, 1956. I first met him in my freshman college speech class and he was also the head of the college debate team, one of the best in the country in CEDA debate. I asked him about becoming part of the debate team (I was 28 at the time). He taught me the rudiments of debate. Our debate teams traveled all over the eastern U.S. as we had a large budget. We went to Illinois, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, etc. He was single and I was single (divorced) and we just became close friends. He was a Christian and a Baptist, connected in Arkansas I think with what we would call "Bogard Baptists" because of the influence of Dr. Ben Bogard of Baptist and Landmarker fame and who was from Arkansas. Mike was also the piano player for a local Baptist singing trio, including my wife Paulette, her sister Jami, and her mother Doris. They were always practicing in the home of Doris and her husband who were devout Southern Baptists, she being the choir director of her local church. I met Paulette through Mike.

After my first two years of college, Mike went to Gainesville, Florida to teach at the University of Florida and I went with him, and we both rented a house there for six months. However, I left and came back to North Carolina to marry Paulette and devote all my time to my real estate business and to raise her two adolescent children as well as my own two. That was in 1985. 

Mike was a dear friend though he moved back to Arkansas and began teaching there, and we did not keep up with each other regularly. He did check in with Paulette's parents via Facebook and the telephone as did Mike's parents. I was in business with his father, Clarence Fisher, who came to Monroe, N.C. to build some projects with me, some apartments, mini warehouses, and a commercial strip center. 

Mike was a Christian, and a Baptist, but he also was to some extent involved in the new age movement. When he was at Murray State University, working on his Master's degree, and even before, he got into drugs and a licentious lifestyle. Thankfully he put all that behind him, though it was a learning experience for him. He was a great piano player. He was a champion debater when he was in college and is one reason why Wingate University was anxious to hire him. He also had a sense of humor. He was a good friend who listened to me and helped me get over my divorce from my first wife and the breakup of our family. We often talked about the bible, and he read it most days. Mike never married. 

Before I married Paulette he and I took a trip on our motorcycles to western Kentucky. I will never forget that. We also took "road trips" to other places, once to Florida with others and visited my older brother Eddie. Precious memories. I could go on and on about him and our time spent together. We went to Mexico together, on a one day cruise to the Bahamas, all with the debate team. 

It was sad news to hear that he had passed after a short illness. Had he lived a few days longer he would have been 70, my age now. I hope to see him again on the other side of Jordan.

Mike's obituary reads as follows (See here)

Michael Fisher Obituary

Michael Alan Fisher, 69, of Jonesboro, passed away on February 17, 2026, at the Phil and Flo Jones Hospice House. Michael was born on February 28, 1956, in Michigan City, IN, to Alta May and the late Clarence Fisher Jr. In addition to his father, Michael was preceded in death by his bonus mom, Faye Sledge.

Michael was born in Indiana but spent most of his life in Jonesboro, graduating from Valley View High School. His secondary education was a dedicated journey that brought him great pride. His pursuit of knowledge and decision to teach others took him all over the country, but he always kept his roots in Northeast Arkansas. He was a professor at Arkansas State University for many years. During his tenure at ASU, he coached multiple national and international champion debate teams. He also served as a fraternity advisor for the local chapter of Alpha Tau Omega. Most recently, Michael was a communications professor at Arkansas Northeastern College. While at ANC, he also served as director of the theater program and helped the program keep its head above water during the COVID crisis.

His dedication to education matched his love of the arts. From an early age, Michael sang and played the piano. As a charter member of Cathedral Baptist Church, he served as the congregation's first pianist. Singing in church choirs brought Michael many opportunities, including performances at Carnegie Hall in New York City and in Vatican City. He cherished those memories for his entire life.Most importantly, Michael loved his mother, family, and church community.

Michael is survived by his mother, Alta May Fisher of Jonesboro; brother, Billy Fisher (Denise), of North Little Rock; niece, Stacy Sproles (Scotty), of Burkburnett, TX, and their children, Adam and Lydia; nephew, Bradley Fisher (Christina), of Plano, TX; and godsons, Gabriel Arant of Manhattan, NY, and Michael Arant IV (Heidi), and their child, Charlotte, of Jonesboro.

A funeral service will be held at Emerson Funeral Home on February 21, 2026, at 2:00 pm with Bro. Ken Beaver officiating. A visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. Burial will follow at Pine Log Cemetery.

Pallbearers include Michael Arant III, Gabriel Arant, Michael Arant IV, Bryson Beaver, Derek Spiegel, Mike Cope, Wes Thornton, and Maddox Beaver.