Craig Fischer, M.D. ’92
Dr. Craig Peter Fischer was born in Rochester, MN on January 26, 1965 and died on June 28, 2014. Craig moved to Houston in 1982 when his father, Dr. Ronald Fischer, accepted a position as Director of Trauma Surgery at University of Texas Medical School. He attended Tulane University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in the Department of Biology. He returned to Houston and attended the University of Texas in Houston, graduating with a combined MD, MPH degree in 1992. Craig began his surgical training at Case Western Reserve University and finished at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1999 where he was voted most outstanding Chief Resident. He began work at Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary later that year as a fellow in Hepatobiliary and Transplant surgery. After completing his hepatobiliary surgical training, he returned to the University of Texas, Houston to follow in his father’s footsteps as an academic surgeon. Dr. Fischer was appointed Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas in Houston and quickly rose thru the ranks to become section head of hepatobiliary surgery. In 2005, he was recruited to The Methodist Hospital as an Associate Professor of Surgery.
During his tenure there, he pioneered several new techniques in liver and pancreas surgery and helped develop a nationally-recognized pancreatic islet cell laboratory and transplant program. He was a highly respected member of the Surgery Department known for being technically gifted and kindhearted with his colleagues and patients. Craig was an invited speaker in over 20 countries and held numerous leadership roles in several professional societies, including the American College of Surgeons, Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, and American Hepatopancreatico Biliary Association. He was honored with several awards for outstanding teaching of surgical residents.
The passion Craig brought to his professional life was also evident in his personal life. He was an avid cyclist. He climbed Mount Ventoux, completing one of the most challenging Tour de France stages. He was an accomplished lead guitarist, playing in bands off and on over the years. He was a gifted photographer whose incredible travel photos he generously shared with his family and friends. He was a serious history buff with a vast knowledge of war history.
Craig will be remembered as a loving, devoted individual who enriched the lives of those who knew him. He is preceded in death by his father, Dr. Ronald Fischer. Left behind to cherish his memory are his wife Valeriia Fischer of Houston, TX, his mother Nancy Fischer of Houston, TX, and his sister Shannon Fischer Ware of Belleair, FL.
A funeral service was held at Wade Chapel in Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio on July 5th.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to McGovern Medical School in memory of Dr. Craig P. Fischer and his father, Dr. Ronald P. Fischer, both of whom were honored and accomplished surgeons who cared passionately about the benefits of medical research. Gifts may be mailed to the following:
UTHealth Medical School at Houston
Dr. Craig P. Fischer & Dr. Ronald P. Fischer Memorial Fund
Office of Development
PO Box 1321,
Houston, TX 77251-1321