George Ludwig Fischer, 94, of Midlothian, Virginia, died September 26, 2020 after a brief illness.

He was born on July 16, 1926 in Frankfort, Germany, the son of Ernst and Anne Fischer.

The family emigrated to the United States in 1934 and moved to Richmond when Ernst Fischer was appointed to the faculty of the Medical College of Virginia.

George Fischer graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1943, attended the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1951. He served in the medical corps of the U. S. Navy from 1944-1946.

He married Mary Lou Markham of Lynchburg, Virginia on July 16, 1949; they enjoyed a celebration of their seventy years of marriage with family and friends in July, 2019.

Dr. Fischer was an intern, resident and gastroenterology fellow at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri from 1951-1955. He practiced medicine for thirty-seven years at the VA Hospital in St. Louis, Grace Hospital in Welch, West Virginia and Alleghany Regional Hospital in Clifton Forge, Virginia, where he served as Medical Director from 1988-1992.

He enjoyed a teaching career as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia and directed the teaching program in Internal Medicine at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, WV.

He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and an active participant in multiple professional societies, including the American Society of Internal Medicine, the Virginia Society of Gastroenterology and the American College of Physician Executives. He was involved in the leadership of the Virginia Society of Internal Medicine, serving as President in 1983.

Dr. Fischer and his wife enjoyed an active retirement that included travel and the study of military history. He was especially interested in the history of Civil War medicine and frequently lectured and led round-table discussions on the topic. Dr. and Mrs. Fischer moved to Brandermill Woods in 2005 to be closer to family.

He is survived by Mary Lou, his wife of seventy-one years, and his sister, Eva Marx of Hingham, MA; two daughters: Clare Schoenberg of Havertown, PA and Sheila Dawson of Ashland, VA; and four grandchildren.

He loved food and wine, good cigars, the opera and Virginia Tech football, and for many years hosted a special week of family, food and fun in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

He treated medicine as a true vocation and was known for his high standards and his constant pursuit of further knowledge and understanding. He was a devoted husband, and his long and happy marriage was perhaps his proudest accomplishment.

Funeral services will be private with internment at Hollywood Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Bennett Funeral Home.

In honor of Dr. Fischer's commitment to small-town primary care, donations may be made to The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Foundation, 400 Lee St., N., Lewisburg, WV 24901, with "in memory of George Fischer" on the memo line. Contributions may also be made by calling (304) 793-6852.