WARREN FISK

Warren was born September 4, 1938 to Margaret (Peg) and Loy Fisk. He was the youngest of three children. His early childhood was spent in Nebraska City, NE.

His father was originally a motorboat operator turned surveyor for the US Army Corps of Engineers and in 1946 he moved his family to South Dakota to begin work on the Fort Randall Dam. Warren grew up in Pickstown, which was a singularly unique community that was built, occupied and run for the sole purpose of constructing the dam. Warren lived there through his high school graduation in 1956. He began his career in surveying during his high school years – working for Northwest Engineering on the grading/ paving across the top of the dam. He had wonderful memories and made many lifelong friends.

He married his high school sweetheart Janice Ishmael in the fall of 1957. They moved to Pierre where Warren continued his surveying career working for the Corps of Engineers on the Oahe Dam.

Daughter Janelle was born in Pierre in 1961 and shortly thereafter they moved to Rapid City where Warren attended the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. He graduated in 1965 with a degree in civil engineering. During school and following graduation he worked with Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Bell Galyardt & Wells and Bell Galyardt & Associates.

He made his home in Rapid City and his son Ron was born there in 1968. Warren’s career in engineering took him to projects in Omaha and Sioux City where he worked on the large commercial stockyards. In Rapid City, he worked on designs for the Rapid City trunk sewer as well as portions of Interstate-90.

He enjoyed the challenges of engineering, but his true love was surveying. In 1974 he began his own firm – Fisk Engineering. He worked on numerous residential, commercial and federal projects during the next 26 years. One of the special highlights of his surveying career was working with a local firm to study the stability of Mount Rushmore.

Warren’s love of surveying extended to mentorship and service to the profession. He was a founding and life-long member of the South Dakota Society of Professional Land Surveyors (SDSPLS), serving as President in 2007. Concurrently, he served on the South Dakota Board of Technical Professions (SDBOTP) from 1985 through 2005. As part of his service on the SDBOTP he became a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES). He was the first South Dakotan to serve as president of that national organization (1995-1996) and was awarded the NCEES Distinguished Service Award in 1998. As President of NCEES he and Jan traveled to Canada, Mexico, China, Hong-Kong and nearly every state in the union. They enjoyed their time traveling and met wonderful people and made lifelong friends in NCEES. Locally he served on the Pennington County Planning Commission from 2007 to 2010.

He semi-retired in 2001 and he worked with Ron and Janelle in their surveying firm. He was a welcome fixture and valuable asset in the office during the remainder of his life.

Warren was a man of faith and a member of First Baptist Church. He taught an adult Sunday morning bible class (The Builders) for over 40 years. He lived his life well and was loved and respected by his family, friends and colleagues. He will be remembered as a man of intelligence, kindness and great wit.

Warren was preceded in death by his parents Loy Fisk and Margaret (Wilcox) Fisk; brother Glenn; sister Jean; mother-in-law Ida Kluth, brother-in-law Francis Uecker; and sister-in-law Judy Dougherty. He is survived by his wife Jan; daughter Janelle (Leon) Finck; son Ron Fisk; grandchildren Ashton (Matt) Wire; Erryn (Brian) Rucker; Ethan Fisk; Kyrianna Dodge; great grandsons Weston and Noah Wire; brothers-in-law Daniel Miller and Wayne Dougherty; and sister-in-law Sylva Jean Uecker, as well as many nieces and nephews and their families. He was also considered a member of the family of Roland and Ann Hatwan and an older brother to their children - Pat, Dale, Jeanie, Lori, Karen and Kathy.

A celebration of life will be planned for this summer. Condolences can be sent to PO Box 8154, Rapid City, SD 57709 and in lieu of flowers or memorials, donations can be made to the “Pickstown & Fort Randall Museum Foundation” c/o Art Trautman – Treasurer, 2675 Whitetail Lane, O’Fallon, MO 63368