Colleen M Fisher died peacefully and at home with Janice holding her hand on Thursday March 3, 2022 at the wonderful age of 71.

She was born on October 24, 1950 to the late (Mary) Jane Fisher (nee Smith) and Roy Fisher of Orchard Park, NY in Buffalo, NY.

Colleen spent 22 adventure-filled years with her spouse, Janice Peneno and their wonderful family of animals. Colleen currently leaves in this world their beloved dog, Macallan, and two "special" cats, Charlie and Pogo.

Colleen was the oldest of 5 children and loved her "little brothers and sisters" whom she helped raised. Brothers:Dennis Fisher and his wife, Diane; Terry Fisher and his wife, Carol; Sisters: Sarah Fisher; Lucy Ralls and her husband, Thomas.

Colleen was smitten with all of her 25 nieces and nephews, and MANY great nieces and nephews, and loved to share pictures and stories of her siblings' growing families with her friends who tried desperately to keep the family tree straight : ) and usually failed. Colleen is survived by many cherished friends, some who have shared in her life story since her early twenties, to those she met in social work school, to those she met through the many years of her career, to those she met just through life experiences.

As Colleen would say, "I had a circuitous route to finally graduating from college" when she graduated from Towson College in Maryland after some starts and stops with school. But during those starts and stops she also found some wonderful friends through various adventures including her work w/migrant farmers and their families. This was Colleen's start on her path to careers "in the helping professions". Colleen worked for many years with various populations including mentally and physically challenged people and the HIV/AIDS community in the height of the AIDS pandemic. At the brave age of 35yrs old, Colleen returned to graduate school at Boston University where she studied clinical social work and group work. It was here that Colleen first met Janice as friends in the LGBT Support Group (only 4 letters at that time). Colleen went on to have a long career in the social work world in many capacities from direct service work to Executive Directorship. Colleen had a long established private practice in Quincy which Janice joined in 1995.

Colleen loved to travel and credited Janice with finding world adventures for them to explore throughout North and South America and Europe, even to the northern reaches of Iceland. Her favorite place to travel was to our Lil House in Maine with Janice and Macallan and to share Lil House with family and friends. Her other loves were: "Scotch, not whiskey"; baked goods; coffee; dogs; cats, even though allergic to them; politics and CNN. Colleen was an English major and loved to write "ditties". She even wrote a children's book, Where's Teddy, which was published on her 60th birthday!

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: Rosie's Place, a local women's shelter, www.rosiesplace.org or Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University, a teaching hospital, https://vetmed.tufts.edu/cvmc/giving-to-cummings-school/.

A Celebration of Colleen's Life is being planned for some time in May for as Colleen's humor once again pointed out, "I'm not going to be there Janice, so do what makes you happy". So she may not be with us any longer in body but she is very much in our hearts and minds as she lived a life much worth living!