Grace “Darlene” Fischer, 88, of New Paris, IN won the race to heaven on Friday, January 30, 2026 at home surrounded by her family.

Darlene was born in Delphos, KS on June 17, 1937 to the late Lawrence Shea and Daisy Louise (Sommers) Shea. She married the love of her life, Carl J. Fischer, Jr. on September 20, 1958.

She is preceded in death by her siblings, Larry “Buck” Shea, Michael Shea and Lou Baugh.

Darlene is survived by her husband of 67 years, Carl Fischer; children, Sonja (Guy) Gilman, Larry (Teresa) Fischer, Melissa Hahn, Carl John Fischer, III and James (Ruby) Fischer; grandchildren, Brandon, Devin, Terra (Cody), Kyle (Courtney), Austin, Jacob, Jessica, Ashley (Mike), Lindsey (Zac), Kody, Ashton, Caleb, Ben and Andrew; great grandchildren, Mason, Logan, Joel, Delaney, Adelyne, Everly and Della.

Darlene lived a full and meaningful life, marked by creativity, curiosity, and deep devotion to her family. She was a gifted artist, expressing herself through sketching, painting and photography, and she carried a keen eye for detail in all that she did.

In her younger years, Darlene was an avid bowler. She also enjoyed playing cards and spending time at the gun range. At home, she found joy in landscaping her yard, creating ceramics, and building thoughtful collections of stamps and coins.

Darlene and her husband, Carl, shared a love of travelling with family and attending car races and spent many memorable years journeying across the country together.

Family was at the center of Darlene’s life. She took great pleasure in preparing meals, baking desserts, and working on special home projects. Some of her most cherished moments were spent playing board games with her grandchildren, whom she lovingly referred to as her “babies”.

Darlene was known for her feisty spirit, a quality rooted not in harshness but in deep compassion and care for others. She will be remembered for her baking skills that were passed down from the generations, her devotion to family, and the warmth she brought into the lives of those who knew her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, February 6, 2026 at St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 411 W. Vistula, Bristol, IN 46507 with Fr. Edwin Mua Mai officiating.

Visitation with the family will be 1 hour prior to the start of the Mass from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the church.

Interment will be at Fort Custer National Cemetery, 15501 Dickman Rd., Augusta, MI 49102 at 2:30pm EST on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. 

Memorial Contributions may be directed to Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675.

Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart, IN is assisting the family.

For those that wish to send a condolence, share a memory or order flowers may do so at www.billingsfuneralhome.com.