Fish

Longtime Lake George councilman mourned

By DENISE BASSETT
Correspondent

LAKE GEORGE -- Longtime town Councilman Richard C. Fish was remembered Sunday as a dedicated public servant who was highly regarded by his constituents and his political peers.

Fish, 71, died Saturday at Glens Falls Hospital, less than a week after resigning from the Town Board seat he had held for more than 30 years.

"He was well-known and well-liked," Councilman Robert McKinney said. "He loved Lake George."

McKinney called Fish a longtime friend and credited him with helping the town through his service on many committees and

volunteer groups such as the Lake George Volunteer Fire Department and local Little League.

Most recently, McKinney said, Fish was instrumental in helping to bring the difficult Diamond Point water project to fruition.

The project, which is expected to be completed within the next few weeks, was years in the making. When completed, it will connect Diamond Point water customers to their first fully potable, reliable water supply.

Supervisor Louis Tessier said he will seek a state Senate resolution recognizing Fish's three-decade-plus tenure as a town councilman.

"He'll be tough to replace," McKinney said. "You don't find young people with that kind of commitment anymore to serve on the board."

Fish was a devoted, conscientious town servant who never missed a board meeting -- even during his long illness, Tessier said.

"The only time he missed a meeting was when he was in the hospital," Tessier said. "Otherwise he was always here, and he would call me every day to check in."

Fish was a lifelong resident of Lake George who as a young man worked for the Lake George Mirror. He also worked as a commercial artist in his early career and was vice president of the W. Joseph McPhillips Insurance Agency in Glens Falls until his retirement.

Fish served for more than two decades as a committee member of the Lake George Republican Party.

"I remember he was on the committee when I first tried to get on the board back in the 1970s," Tessier said. "And he helped me get elected the first time. He supported me."

Fish was Tessier's deputy supervisor for nearly 17 years and served as town supervisor himself from 1979 to 1981 before returning to his role as a councilman.

McKinney said Fish's commitment to Lake George and the respect he'd earned from constituents was reflected in his long service.

"He would run for re-election every four years, and every four years they would vote him in," McKinney said. "That right there says how well he was respected."