Virginia Lee Stone passed from this life at her home on Dolliver’s Neck, Gloucester, on January 19, 2026 after an extended struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Virginia Lee was married in 1978 to Charles Fisk at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, MN, while Charles was completing his magnum Opus there. Around that time, she was hired as Office Manager at C. B. Fisk, and after settling into the position, she started to make changes that would ensure the future of the company. Most notably, the radical suggestion that the employees needed to make a living wage, which in turn meant that prices of the instruments would need to be raised. These were matters that didn’t really concern Charles as he was focused on building the finest pipe organs possible. Virginia Lee oversaw the array of employee benefits, adding programs such as a 401(k) to help ensure that employees could continue to work for the company well into the future.  We have her to thank for Fisk’s current stable working environment. She was a great comfort and inspiration to Charles as his health declined, and she often had to make decisions for the company when he was unable to.

Virginia Lee’s role after the untimely death of Charles Fisk in December 1983 was undoubtedly her most important contribution to us.  We were all in mourning, but at the same time we were determined to continue the work that Charles had started.  After all, Charles had left us with 7 years of contracted work! As President of the company, Virginia Lee was the glue that held us together; she assumed the role of well-respected moderator, offering both support and advice to a dedicated and varied team of passionate, artistic individuals. She firmly believed, as did Charles, that the diversity of the people in the group was its chief strength, and she had the sometimes uncomfortable role of choosing the best path forward when many different ideas were on the table.  But her decisions were always well thought out and were respected by all.

During her presidency the company grew and flourished. Her background in editing was a great benefit for anyone needing to write an important letter, a periodical piece, or a seminar presentation – she made us all appear grammatically correct and coherent! Although not trained in finances, Virginia Lee was a quick learner and had an innate sense of how best to manage money. Her negotiating skills were extremely helpful in every new contract; they were especially appreciated as we contracted to build our first concert hall instrument at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas. That instrument, our Opus 100, was truly the last of the work that Charles Fisk had left with us, and, after its completion, Virginia Lee felt that she had fulfilled her promises to Charles and was ready to pass the baton to another generation.

Virginia Lee’s marriage to Warren Stone began a new chapter for her and was another reason to wind down her term as President in 1993. However, she remained the Chair of the Fisk Board of Directors until fully retiring twenty years later.  Even after that time, Virginia Lee kept close ties to her friends at Fisk and was very free with her sage advice, which we all appreciated. We will miss her wise counsel along with her enthusiasm and encouragement.

Steven Dieck
President Emeritus