James Fishback

James Lawrence Fishback passed away at home Sunday, January 13,2019. He was 63. Jim was a beloved husband, brother, and friend!

Jim was an exceptional man, husband, brother, and friend. He was an Eagle Scout and spent several summers at Philmont Scout Ranch as one of their resident doctors. He went to undergraduate school at Southwestern College where he would later be inducted into the Science Hall of Fame, become a Board Trustee, and major financial contributor. Jim had a masters’ degree in biochemistry from Kansas State University and an M.D. from the University of Kansas, where he was a pathologist from 1986 until his retirement last year. He also spent two years as the Residency Program Director in the Department of Pathology and did a two-year stint as Chairman of the Pathology Department. Jim was honored by his medical students year after year with the annual “Student Voice Award”. It is worth mentioning that he received the students’ award for more than 20 consecutive years. He also received the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Classroom Teacher in 2000, Ruth Bohan Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award in 2004, and was named the The Kemper Foundation Fellow for Teaching Excellence in 1999 and 2006. In 2014, he received the prestigious Chancellor’s Club Distinguished Teaching Professorship. While at KU he served as the Director of Curriculum and Design. He also did a year-long fellowship at Duke University in clinical microbiology.

Not only did Jim have a passion for education, but also for the military. He spent 25 years in the Air Force Reserves where he reached the rank of Colonel. He had two active deployments in Iraq as an A-10 flight surgeon. He retired as the Vice Commander of the 442nd Medical Squadron at Whiteman Air Force Base. Even after retiring from the Air Force, he went on to become a Medical Intelligence Analyst to help defend our country against biological threats.

Jim is preceded in death by his father James Everett Fishback and his mother Patricia G. Fishback of Garden City, Kansas. He is survived by his wife Meg, by his sister Julie Kirchhoff, Julie’s husband Jerry and their kids Sasha and Tanner, and by his brother John, John’s wife Sarah and their son Brian. He loved all of his nieces and nephews very much. A visitation to celebrate his life will be from 2-4:00pm Sunday at the Johnson County Funeral Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave.  Remembrances by family and friends will be shared at 3:30.