More than 10 years after moving away from the Mountain State, an Ohio couple is strengthening their commitment to central West Virginia with a $100,000 gift to expand local outreach and experiential learning opportunities via the West Virginia University Center for Community Engagement a unit under the WVU Division for Land-Grant Engagement.
George Lee and Rosemary H. Fisher first came to West Virginia in 1975, when they purchased a small farm in Braxton County. They maintained the farm for nearly 40 years and became deeply connected to their neighbors and the community.
“Our hearts have always been centered there, even though we’ve moved on to a different phase of our lives,” Lee said. “I think when you experience a place like West Virginia for as long as we did, it just naturally becomes a part of you.”
The Fishers’ gift to WVU establishes a namesake fund that supports the Purpose2Action program, a paid community engagement experience that places undergraduate students with nonprofit and public-sector organizations to work on mission-driven projects. Per the couple’s wishes, first preference will be given to students from Braxton County and/or student engagement work with Braxton County nonprofits.
The fund prioritizes projects and organizations focused on youth education, entrepreneurship, technology, nutrition, veterans, animals, career development and food scarcity.
“Students are curious and motivated to apply classroom learning to real-world challenges that enrich their education while gaining valuable career skills and making a meaningful impact in local communities,” WVU Center for Community Engagement Director and Assistant Dean Kristi Wood-Turner said.
The Fishers met as undergraduates at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent their careers in the Philadelphia area, where Lee worked in corporate finance for the rail industry and Rosemary was a schoolteacher.
The Braxton County farm fulfilled a lifelong dream for Lee and served as a peaceful getaway for the couple until the early 2000s, when they retired and moved there full-time.
“It was like going home,” Rosemary said.
They both volunteered at Little Birch Elementary and belonged to the Braxton County Rotary Club, among other community groups.
At the urging of then-Governor Joe Manchin, Lee got involved at the state level. He held leadership roles with the West Virginia Board of Accountancy, the West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council and TechConnect WV. Lee, who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, was also involved in veterans’ affairs issues.
In their spare time, Lee enjoyed fishing, while Rosemary sewed and quilted. She has given away over 100 quilts to West Virginia friends and neighbors as graduation presents, condolences gifts, recognition for military service and more.
The couple previously established the Lee and Rosemary Fisher Scholarship to benefit graduates of Braxton County High School who attend WVU.
“We’ve both been blessed with being able to give things away, and I think that’s partially due to the way we were raised,” Lee said. “Our parents recognized there’s always someone else who may live next door that might be in a worse situation than you are, so don’t let you become the subject of your whole life. Recognize there are people around you that you might be able to help, and if you’re in a position to provide that help, just do it. That’s the way we’ve looked at all our gifts.”
The Fishers noted that rural communities in central West Virginia face unique challenges that aren’t easily understood by residents of Morgantown, Martinsburg and other cities in the state, so they wanted to help. They hope their generosity enriches central West Virginia communities, broadens the skills and perspective of students from the area, and inspires others to give.
“When we decided we would create this gift, we were determined that it was going to stay in the center of the state and not go anywhere else,” Lee said.
Despite the Fishers’ passion for West Virginia, health struggles prompted them to return to Oxford in 2013. They have family nearby, and Lee has continued his education at Miami University, taking over a dozen courses in the past decade.
In addition to spending time in Florida, Rosemary said the couple still returns to Braxton County regularly to visit their “adopted family on the hill.”
“The students’ willingness to serve truly changes the lives of our fellow citizens and enriches their learning here at WVU,” Associate Vice President and Dean of the Division for Land-Grant Engagement Jorge Atiles said. “We are so thankful for thoughtful donors like the Fishers who share a passion for service and for our West Virginia communities."
The Fishers’ gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.