Alberta P. (Latta) Fisher

WILLIAMSPORT - Alberta P. (Latta) Fisher, 82, passed on Tuesday, November 1, 2011, at the Gatehouse Hospice in Williamsport, PA. She was the only child of Jean Elizabeth (Lunt) and Eugene Hazen Latta, and was a lifelong Williamsport resident. Alberta and Ray Alexander Fisher married in 1978 and had a perfectly wonderful 33 years of happiness together. She graduated with high honors from Williamsport High School in 1947. She retired from the work she loved as a caseworker for the Lycoming County Public Assistance Office. Throughout Bert's life, the greatest joys she found were through the love she gave to and received from all people in her life. She knew and loved God with all her heart, cared about people in need, and gave quietly and unconditionally. She loved her church, First Presbyterian, and all the friends she had there throughout her life. She served on the founding board of the Transitional Living Center and spent many years as a Yokefellow ministry volunteer with women at the Lycoming County Prison. Bert received great joy from creativity: sewing, cooking, quilting, watercolors, and making greeting cards for people she loved. The home she and Ray made and shared filled her with happiness, especially when it was full of family. She loved all the family dogs, especially her sweet Belle. In addition to her dear husband Ray, Bert will be greatly missed by all her family members: son Lewis Edmund (Ted) and Kimberly Cooley, their children Christopher (Lauren) and Justin (Jessi), Williamsport; Nancy Beth Cooley and Thomas Richey, their son Daniel, Mechanicsburg; son Marc Brian and Mary Cooley, their children Edmund and Megan, Montoursville; niece Leslie Dian Lunt Byrnes, Albuquerque, NM; Jeffrey Lunt, Albuquerque, NM; stepdaughter Debra and Leroy Jones, Dillsburg, their children Andrea Poole, Tom's River, NJ; Kelly, Michael, and Michaela Rugh, Carlisle; stepdaughter Pamela Fisher, Skip Fisher, their children, Erica and Mark, Albuquerque, NM; stepson Douglas Fisher, Central, Shinobu Fisher, Williamsport, and their son Alex Fisher, Tokyo, Japan. Bert was predeceased by her first husband Lewis E. Cooley II, and her first cousin (“the brother she never had”) Harry Ruel Lunt. Bert was genuine in every way. She would want all to rejoice in life and in love of God and one another. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, November 12 at 1:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church, Mulberry St., Williamsport. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Alberta's honor can be made to the Gatehouse Hospice, Susquehanna Health, 777 Rural Avenue, Williamsport, or The Merkel Cell Carcinoma Fund, payable to “University of Washington MCC Research”, and send to: Paul Nghiem, MD, PhD, University of Washington, Dermatology, 815 Mercer St, Brotman Bldg. – Room 242, Box 358050, Seattle, WA 98109, or visit www.merkelcell.org, (follow link to making a donation). Allen and Redmond Funeral Home, 331 Elmira Street, has charge of arrangements.