Bruce Fischer

     Bruce “Skip” Manfred Fischer, 59, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin passed away on June 29, 2026 following a tragic plane accident in Goldsby, Oklahoma. The son of Harry Arthur and Helma Neumann Fischer, he was born in New Jersey but moved to the Midwest with his family at age 5. He met the love of his life, Anne Margaret Guinan, while both were stationed in San Antonio, Texas for military training. Bruce knew instantly that Anne was “the one.”

     Bruce was a devoted husband of 33 years to Anne, and a beloved father, a proud Opa, brother, uncle, and cousin. Bruce was a devout Christian, faithfully served others, and had an incredible sense of humor. To Bruce, the best joke was an old joke, and they only got better with more retelling.

     Flying was both Bruce’s profession and his passion. At the time of his death he had nearly 17,000 total military and civilian flight hours, including over 500 combat flight hours. He was President of the Rio Air Club, and a member of the EAA, VAA, RAF, AOPA, and VFW.

     He graduated from Forest Hills Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI and earned his BS in Mathematics from Michigan State University, where he was also a member of the Air Force ROTC. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force and began a notable career as an F-16 pilot with the active duty Air Force, and then the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

     He earned the callsign “Skip” when he arrived at his first F-16 duty station at Hill AFB in Utah. During his upgrade training, he was scheduled to complete a strafing mission but he locked in on the wrong target and he strafed the skip bombing pits. He was forever known as Skip.

     He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Wisconsin Air National Guard in a joint Ceremony with his wife, Anne, in 2013. At the time of their retirement, Bruce and Anne had a combined 53 years of military service. Two of his sons, Adam and Christian now carry on the military legacy— Adam is now a Captain in the Air Force, and Christian is a Staff Sergeant in the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

     Bruce worked for American Airlines as a pilot since 2000, flying to major cities across the US, Europe, and the Caribbean. Family & friends were delighted (and a little jealous) to follow him on social media and see the good use he made of his layovers, seeing the sights.

     Even more than he loved to fly, Bruce loved the Lord. He attended The King’s University and Seminary, earned his Master of Divinity, and dedicated his life to serving God in many roles. He was a volunteer Pastor, a generous friend, and a father who raised his sons in the faith.

     When his children were young, Bruce served as a Scout leader for all three of his sons, for about 15 years. Bruce filled the rest of his time bird-watching, hiking, airplane camping, perfecting his photography, and pouring countless hours into wood-working. He loved to make everything from wine-stoppers, to bunk beds for his kids and a toy box for his granddaughter— he was even building a wooden airplane (a replica WW2 Tiger Moth) in his basement!

     Bruce leaves behind his wife, Anne; three sons, Adam (Anna), Christian (Michaela) and Luke; two granddaughters, Clara and Katherine; his brother, Harry (Stephanie), and sister, Eleanore (Bob); his Tante Else and Tante Hildegard in Germany; and many, many beloved cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and his broken-hearted dog, Benjamin.

Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Bruce Fischer Memorial Fund at Living Water Church.