A former Cumberland County High School teacher and longtime counselor at Camp Nakanawa has passed away.

Ruth Catherine Colwick Fisher, known worldwide as “Casey,” left this life on March 21, 2026, on the tailwinds of the Spring Solstice. Casey, the daughter of Ruth Melton Colwick and Ovee John Colwick, Jr., was born in Durant, Oklahoma on September 2, 1937; and she spent her early years in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Sherman and Midland, Texas and Highland Park, Texas, where she graduated in the Highland Park High School Class of 1955, later returning to become one of Highland Park Independent School District’s most popular and beloved teachers.

An adventurer and explorer by nature, Casey’s experiences as a camper at Nakanawa Camp for Girls on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee colored and impacted the rest of her life. As a teen camper excelling in riflery, tennis, and other land sports, she was recognized by her peers as a kind leader who created lanes for all to shine. She was elected captain of her Amazon team during a summer when the Amazon Captain song, still sung today, was written in her honor.

Casey graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in English, minoring in Spanish, and she received a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. At UT Austin, Casey, again recognized as a leader by her peers in Kappa Alpha Theta, served as President of her sorority, soon thereafter marrying fellow UT graduate Richard Bradley Fisher.

Casey evolved into an outstanding and formidable classroom teacher at Highland Park Middle School, Highland Park High School, Texas, and Cumberland County High School in Crossville, Tennessee, spending 31 years in the classroom. She focused on helping young minds learn to think critically, logically, empathetically. Well-known for her unique abilities to make learning English fun, she’s been admired and respected by students and teachers alike, receiving multiple commendations, Teacher of the Month, and service awards. From being elected student body favorite teacher to leading departments to addressing teacher rights and responsibilities with administration, Casey led with grace and purpose.

Her influence includes introducing computers to the classroom. Identified as an early adapter and invited by the Gates Foundation to spearhead implementation of the first “computer writing lab” at Highland Park High School, Casey led the way at a time when even Apple computers were still novel in the school environment. Her reach across the spectrum of student life and teacher training reminded all that technology as a tool can help students thrive.

Casey circled back to her high school and her beloved summer camp to live and give. Invited in the early 1970’s to lead Junior Camp Nakanawa as its Head Counselor, Casey said yes. That yes led to 44 summers as a counselor at Nakanawa Camps for Girls, including a move to live at camp for a time before she returned to Texas. Living at camp year-round with her children was a special time, a highlight of a life well-lived, a time she could fully realize the seasonal beauty of the place once inhabited by the Cherokee Tribe, one of Casey’s indigenous bloodlines.

Casey eventually “crossed the lake” and started working in Senior Camp where she rang the bell, offered apples, peanut butter, and love from the commissary, wrote the camp newsletter, ran errands, did blinks, ran patrol to quash barnyards, taught hand bells and golf, judged canoeing, diving, swimming, and perhaps most importantly, she mentored and influenced many of today’s and consequently tomorrow’s camp leaders.

Casey loved to travel and had opportunities to chaperone teens on trips to England, the Netherlands, France, Greece, and Italy. She traveled abroad with friends to Scotland, Wales, Austria, and Germany, and cherished her family trips to Puerto Vallarta, California, and Colorado. She was at home when she could see any mountain.

Before Casey retired and moved to Tyler, she volunteered with the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and was a service member of the Texas Association of Hospital Auxiliaries. In Tyler, she volunteered for the Tyler Independent School District, the City of Tyler Police Department and Library, the Salvation Army Auxiliary, the Wound Care Center of East Texas, and Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. She was an active member of Highland Park United Methodist Church, Crossville First Methodist Church, and Pollard United Methodist Church in Tyler, TX.

Her influence towards kindness is far and wide. As her grand dad, Dr. O.J. Colwick taught, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” Casey never imposed her personal beliefs but rather challenged those around her to fully know themselves, to discover their own gifts, and to guard against comparing themselves to others. She believed as the Native American Indian Medicine Wheel implores–that when we balance the intellectual, the spiritual, the emotional, the physical, we can achieve optimum health. Casey, the consummate teacher, leaves with echoes in our hearts, with sprinkles and drinkles of goodness and lightheartedness spread about simply because she existed. Her light cannot be extinguished as it has already been passed down and along many trails.

Casey is survived by her daughter: Sharon Fisher Roberts, of Mason, Texas; son: Scott Bradley Fisher, of Tyler, Texas; granddaughter: Erin Elisabeth Roberts and fiancé Dawson Majors, of Mason, Texas; brother: John Melton Colwick; sister-in-law: Gail Colwick, of Richardson, Texas; cousins: John Davis and Padric of Santa Barbara, California; other beloved California Cousins; the extended Roberts’ clan, nephews, Chris Colwick and Scott Strzinek; along with great nieces and nephews.

A memorial gathering to honor Casey will be held at Senior Camp Nakanawa during camp’s service weekend on the afternoon of Saturday, May 16, 2026. Contact Sharon or Scott for details. Please consider wearing Sunday whites but know that Casey would never care what color you wear because each is necessary to complete the rainbow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Casey’s memory with a donation to the Elisabeth Mitchell Charitable Fund at Camp Nakanawa, 1084 Camp Nakanawa Road, Crossville, Tennessee 38571, www.campnakanawa.org/give, by contributing to your charity of choice, or by planting a tree.