Xing Wu
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RAPID CITY – Warren was born on September 4, 1938 to Margaret (Peg) and Loy Fisk. He died on March 2, 2022. He was the youngest of three children. Her 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 SD to begin work on the Fort Randall Dam. Warren grew up in Pickstown, which was a singularly unique community that was built, occupied and managed for the sole purpose of building the dam. Warren lived there until he graduated from high school in 1956. He began his career in surveying during his high school days – working for Northwest Engineering on the grading/paving at the top of the dam. He had wonderful memories and had 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. His daughter Janelle was born in Pierre in 1961 and soon after they moved to Rapid Ville where Warren attended the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. In 1965, he obtained a degree in civil engineering. During his studies and after graduation, he worked with Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Bell Galyardt & Wells and Bell Galyardt & Associates.
He made Rapid City his home and his son Ron was born there in 1968. Warren’s engineering career took him to projects in Omaha and Sioux City where he worked on large commercial stockyards. In Rapid City, he worked on designs for the Rapid City Main Sewer as well as portions of Interstate-90.
He loved the challenges of engineering, but his real love was surveying. In 1974 he created his own company – Fisk Engineering. He worked on numerous residential, commercial and federal projects over the next 26 years. One of the highlights of his surveying career was working with a local company 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 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 to 2005. In As part of his service at SDBOTP, he became a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying (NCEES). He was the first South Dakota to serve as president of this national organization (1995-1996) and received the NCEES Distinguished Service Award in 1998. As president of NCEES, he and Jan have traveled to Canada, Mexico, China, Hong Kong and nearly every state in the union. They enjoyed their time traveling and met great people and made lifelong friends at NCEES. Locally, he served on the Pennington County Planning Commission from 2007 to 2010.
He semi-retired in 2001 and worked with Ron and Janelle in their surveying firm. He was a welcome addition and a valuable asset to the office for the rest of his life.
Warren was a man of faith and a member of the First Baptist Church. He taught a Sunday morning adult Bible course (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 a great spirit.
Warren was predeceased by his parents Loy Fisk and Margaret (Wilcox) Fisk; brother Glenn; sister John; mother-in-law Ida Kluth, brother-in-law Francis Uecker; and his sister-in-law Judy Dougherty. He is survived by his wife Jan; his 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 his sister-in-law Sylva Jean Uecker, as well as several nieces and nephews and their families. He was also considered a family member 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 this summer. Condolences may be sent to PO Box 8154, Rapid City, SD 57709 and in lieu of flowers or memorials, donations may be made to the Pickstown & Fort Randall Museum Foundation c/o Art Trautman – Treasurer, 2675 Whitetail Lane, O’Fallon, Missouri 63368.
