Louis H. Fish

Louis H. Fish passed over January 7, 2020, preceded by his beloved wife of 61 years, Doris; brothers and sisters, William, Gerald, Mildred, Ruth, and Diana, and survived by Gwen Haygood. Also surviving are children, Karen and Jerry Moore, Ray and Pam Fish, Richard and Lola Fish, and Judy Fish; grandchildren, Amanda and Ryan Terry, Cameron and Elizabeth Cogbill, Ben Fish, Jonathan Fish, Samantha Fish, Josh and Whitney Lowery, Seth and Savannah Lowery, and great-grandchildren, Madelyn and Hunter Terry, Caroline and Catherine Cogbill, and Virginia Lynn and Fletcher Lowery. Louis was born to W.A. and Eula Fish on July 26, 1927, in Star City, Arkansas. He loved roaming the countryside as a boy and in high school met the love of his life, Doris. After service in the Navy, he entered The University of Arkansas and earned a degree in electrical engineering. After 10 years of service at Southwestern Electric Power Company in Shreveport, Louis called Arkansas Electric Co-operative Corporation CEO Harry Oswald, whom he had met hitchhiking in college and became AECC's first engineer. Given a free hand, Louis hired built a first-class engineering and planning organization, responsible to the CEO and Board of Directors of the 17 member co-ops. He was known as a man of integrity and honesty, by his people as a generous mentor and kind leader, and by all as persistent in principle and flexible in non-essentials. He led by the example of "doing the right thing". His dedication to his people was second only to that of his family. At one point, the Board of Directors awarded him a tee-shirt emblazoned "In Fish We Trust". Under his guidance, AECC became a modern utility serving 75% of Arkansas' land area and 25% of its population. It constructed and operated hundreds of miles of transmission lines and substations, two gas/oil plants, three hydroelectric plants, and partially owned four coal plants. It joined and helped develop the Southwest Power Pool. CEO Gary Voigt noted that the foundations laid ensured "the long term financial and corporate stability to meet (AECC's) obligations". Louis credited his staff and leadership, but they were quick to give much of the credit to him. Louis' family was his priority. He was engaged in their lives and present for their events. He involved them in his work life, spent his leisure time in their enrichment, and planned educational family travel vacations, he thought always to teach the inner resources required for a fruitful life. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 11 at Mabelvale United Methodist Church, funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Graveside will be at 2:00 p.m., January 12 in the community cemetery at Cornerville, Arkansas. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.