In Memoriam: Jack Fisher Remembered

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Long-time electronics interconnect industry icon Jack Fisher passed away on Jan. 20, 2023.

Design007 Editor Andy Shaughnessy remembers working with Jack in the late '90s.

"He was always a great guy to work with," Shaughnessy said. "He would tell you if something was a good idea for a magazine article or not. Jack was really a 'Jack' of all trades...he was a source of knowledge about fab and assembly. We went rafting down the Chatooga River a few times, and he had all kinds of crazy stories from the early days of PCB manufacturing. We'll miss him."

Fisher began his career in the printed circuit board and electronics manufacturing industry with IBM in 1965. In 1994, Fisher retired from IBM and accepted the position of chief technology officer of the newly formed Interconnect Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which advocated industry research and development. During his five years with ITRI, the consortium published 10 technology reports on significant issues, many of which are still referenced today.

As an independent consultant, he focused on his passion for road mapping. Fisher served as a member of the Surface Mount Council, participated in the Jisso North America Council technical and roadmap activities, and contributed to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) Roadmap projects. He worked to improve relations between IPC and the High Density Packaging Users Group (HDPUG). Furthering his interest in new technologies, Fisher was a longtime member of the Innovative Technology Center Review Board for IPC APEX EXPO.

In 2006, Jack was elected to the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame, IPC’s highest level of recognition, honoring members who make extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics interconnect industry. He continued to be active in the industry working on IPC and iNEMi roadmaps and leading the ITRI development group.