President Connie Ledoux Book shared the sad news with the university community that Fish, associate director of the Teaching Fellows Program, passed away on May 7 after an illness.
Students, alumni, colleagues and friends came together for a Gathering of Friends in the Sacred Space of the Numen Lumen Pavilion on Wednesday, May 8, to share about the life and impact of Jennifer Fish, associate director of the Teaching Fellows program, and the strong connections she built within the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education and across campus. Fish passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 7, following an illness. Read her obituary to learn more about her life.
Through her 15 years of service to Elon, Fish was a valued member of the leadership team for the Teaching Fellows program and built relationships with scores of students in her role and through her contributions to Elon. Fish was remembered Wednesday for her giving spirit, her humor, her ample supply of snacks for students who stopped by the Teaching Fellows offices and her passion for education, for students and for Elon.
Remembered as “Mama Fish” by current and former students, she constantly worked to make the Teaching Fellows program better and to ensure students had the support they needed to succeed. Current students recounted how she would encourage them before tests and believe in them even when they didn’t believe in themselves. A former colleague noted how she would encourage students to follow their passions, and a current student shared that Fish had taught them “the power of a kind gesture.”
Several sources of support are available from the university, including chaplains in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. Faculty and staff may utilize Elon Work-Life Resources for support.
Students can access counselors in Counseling Services or through TimelyCare, supportive staff in Student Care and Outreach, or 24/7 crisis resources from the crisis counselor on-call at 336-278-2222, TalkNow from TimelyCare, or the Student Life administrator on-call through Campus Safety and Police at 336-278-5555.
Expressions of condolence for the family can be brought to the Truitt Center main desk in the Numen Lumen Pavilion or sent through campus mail to Truitt Center, 2960 Campus Box.
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May 7 message from President Connie Ledoux Book to the university community
Dear Elon Faculty, Staff and Students,
With deep sadness I write today to share with you that Jennifer Fish, Associate Director of the Teaching Fellows Program in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, passed away unexpectedly early this morning after an illness. Jennifer recently celebrated 15 years of service to Elon, and has been a valued member of the leadership team for the Teaching Fellows program throughout that time.
A Gathering of Friends will be held at 4:30 p.m., tomorrow, Wednesday, May 8, in the Sacred Space of the Numen Lumen Pavilion for all who wish to come together to share in the comfort of companionship and reflect on the life of our colleague Jennifer Fish.
Processing the grief we experience after the loss of a teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend is challenging. Several sources of support are available from the university, including chaplains in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. Faculty and staff may utilize Elon Work-Life Resources for support.
Students can access counselors in Counseling Services or through TimelyCare, supportive staff in Student Care and Outreach, or 24/7 crisis resources from the crisis counselor on-call at 336-278-2222, TalkNow from TimelyCare, or the Student Life administrator on-call through Campus Safety and Police at 336-278-5555.
We will update you on any additional arrangements as they become available in the coming days. Expressions of condolence for Jennifer’s family can be brought to the Truitt Center main desk or sent through campus mail to Truitt Center, 2960 Campus Box.
Please keep Jennifer’s family, friends, colleagues, and students in your thoughts, and let us know if there is anything we can do to support you. She will be sorely missed by the Elon community.
In sadness,
Connie