Thomas Fischer

Thomas Stoffer Fischer, almost 83, of Joice, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 4, 2026, at home following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s.

A celebration of Tom’s life will be held from 11 a.m. to 2:00pm on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at the Joice Community Center, 201 Main Street, Joice, IA.

Schott Funeral Homes Mittelstadt Chapel in Lake Mills is assisting the Fischer family.

Tom was born on June 19, 1943, in the Irish Hospital in Forest City, Iowa. His early education included country school, Joice and eventually Lake Mills for his senior year in 1961. Tom earned the highest SAT score in the school district and attended a few years at Mason City Junior College.

On July 18, 1964, Tom was united in marriage to Diana Kittleson at Bethany Lutheran Church in Joice, Iowa. They welcomed two children and moved many times ultimately making it back to Joice for the last 26 years of their 62 years together.

What Tom lacked in formal education he more than made up for in raw intellect, determination and tenacity. He was frequently referred to as “a stubborn old Dutchman”. He worked many jobs but his passion was as an entrepreneur – everything he did was in service of working for himself and his family. Tom successfully bought and sold several small businesses. He was a natural market analyst following trends and spotting sound business opportunities.

In Joice, Tom was always looking for ways to help others and the community he grew up in. He and Diana passed the Emergency Medication Technician (EMT) certification to be first responders. Tom was a volunteer fire fighter, he mowed the public areas around town and was always willing to help an elderly neighbor with a tree that needed trimming or a lawn that needed to be tended – even if that meant being on the ladder with a chainsaw or up on a roof. There was no job he would not tackle.

Tom found happiness in helping others, a good day of fishing, working hard and studying market trends for hours. He and Diana spent winters in McAllen, Texas where he reveled in the heat and loved playing cards with the crew. Always a man of few words, Parkinson’s disease eventually robbed him of even those but you could always get a good read on what he was thinking from his expressive blue eyes.

Tom is survived by his wife, Diana: his two children, Tami Duncan and Devin Fischer; and his beloved grandchildren, Luke and Brooke Fischer. He is also survived by brothers Jerry Fischer, Tom Leake: and sisters Deanna Mccolloch, Jeanette Mary and Patty Wood.

He was preceded in death by his brothers George and Jeff; and his sister, Doris Potter.

The family extends a heartfelt thank you to the compassionate staff at St. Croix Hospice for the exceptional care and kindness they showed Tom during his final months.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorials directed to the leading Parkinson’s research foundations – The Micheal J. Fox Foundation https://give.michaeljfox.org/give/421686/#!/donation/checkout or the Parkinson’s Foundation Homepage https://www.parkinson.org/