Mark Fisher was born on November 8, 1983 in St. Joseph’s Hospital,
Paterson, NJ, but was a lifelong resident of Byram Twp., NJ. He was the middle child to an older brother, Michael,
and younger sister, Alexis.
He attended Our Savior Pre School, Byram
Consolidated School, and Byram Intermediate School. While in the Intermediate School
Mark played Little League baseball and basketball for the school, along with CYO basketball for St. Michael’s of Netcong.
He had a passion for both these sports despite having asthma, allergies and his flat feet, which made it difficult for him
to run. Mark began pitching in fourth grade and continued to do so throughout his freshman year in high school also playing
on all-star teams throughout each summer. In third grade Mark played midget league football. He received the Most Valuable
Defensive Player Award and played another year, but decided to give up on football. In eighth grade he wanted to give it another
try. Mark played with the Lenape Valley Arrows and was awarded the Outstanding Offensive Player Award at the end of the season.
A big highlight for Mark came in the final game of the season against Sparta, NJ where he was awarded
the Most Valuable Player of the game by the opposing coaches. Mark also loved music and played the guitar and piano. As a
lifetime parish member of Our Lady of the Lake Church, he was a volunteer
usher. Mark also volunteered his time helping with the Special Olympics and was a regular blood donor.
Mark was a graduate of Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope,
NJ, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, served as a Student Council Officer, and was a member of the Distribution
Education Club of America. He was a football and basketball player in high school. In his senior year during the fifth game
of the football season he fractured his ankle. Despite this serious injury he continued to play and was selected as
1st Team All-SCIL Honors, as well as All-West Jersey Honors. He was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) by his teammates
during his senior year. Mark was picked to play on the North squad of the 2002 New Jersey North-South All-Star football game
at Rutgers. At the senior prom Mark was selected
by the teachers to be prom king of his senior class.
After graduating high school, Mark began attending Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT in the fall of 2002. He was a Dean’s List student, played on the varsity football team, and
played intramural softball, volleyball and basketball. Mark worked in the Fairfield Recreation Center from September to October of 2003. He was majoring in
Accounting and those who knew him felt he had a bright future ahead of him. Mark was honored his sophomore year with a Multicultural
Relations - Outstanding Scholar Athlete Achievement Award presented by Fairfield’s Dolan School of Business on October
30, 2003. He never received his award because on October 12, 2003, Mark was brutally murdered.nter content here
