David Johnston “Dave” of St. Petersburg passed away peacefully October 22, 2025 at Westminster Palms under the care of Hospice. He was 92. Born July 24, 1933 in Evanston, lllinois to George Irving Fischer and Grace Johnston Fischer he went on to live a very productive and remarkable life. His family moved to Mamaroneck, New York in 1945, where he graduated from Bellows High School. He worked as a bar back and caddy at Winged Foot Golf Club during high school and college. He attended Duke University via the ROTC program and joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After graduating in 1955 he went to USAF training in Arizona, learning to pilot the F-100 fighter jet. He was then stationed in France and was a Captain in the USAF. He met his wife, Katie Nuce, during a vacation to Clearwater Beach. They were married in 1957 and had 3 children, Susan, David Jr, and James. He briefly worked on Wall Street, moving to St Petersburg in 1960 to work for William R. Hough & Co. as a municipal bond dealer. He later opened his own firm, Fischer Johnson in 1978. He married Margo Cook in 1986 until her death in 2005.

As the longest serving Mayor of St. Petersburg, he served 3 terms, including as the First Strong Mayor of the City. During his tenure as Mayor, he ended the “Water Wars”, the Devil Rays had their inaugural season here, planted 18,000 trees throughout the City, and started the Neighborhood Partnership Program, among many other accomplishments to enhance the City. His life long dedication to public service includes St Petersburg City Council (1975 – 1979; Co-Chairman Community Alliance; Chairman Environmental Development Commission; Chairman Tampa Bay Water; Chairman Eckerd College Board of Trustees; Inaugural Leadership St. Pete Class of 1970; Chairman St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce; President and CEO Community Foundation of Tampa Bay; Mr. Sun of Festival of States; Ready for Life (assisting aged-out foster children) Founder and Chairman. He was the recipient of many civic awards.

Dave led a very active life! He enjoyed sailing, golfing, tennis (played with Chris Evert once), basketball, volleyball and snow skiing. He started an annual golf tournament with his best friends, The Coconut Invitational where the winner received the coveted Green Jacket and the Coconut trophy. Huge fan of Duke basketball. He was an avid reader and an expert of history, especially World War II, which he lived through in his young life. He traveled extensively all over the world, sometimes in official capacity to Sister Cities of St. Petersburg in Romania, Japan and Russia. He took his family of 5 to Europe several times to visit many war sites and museums, even taking us into countries behind the Iron Curtain with special Visas. He flew his own Piper Cherokee single engine plane all over Florida for business and family trips to Stuart to visit his parents.

Dave was a member of Lakewood Country Club (St Pete Country Club), St. Petersburg Yacht Club and Vinoy Golf Club.

Dave is survived by his brother, George Fischer (Joyce) of Ft. Myers; daughter Susan McGarry (Mark); sons David Jr and Jimi (Tina); grandchildren Joshua Fischer, Ashley Fischer, Patrick McGarry, and triplets Max, Shane and Katelyn Fischer; great granddaughters Emma and Kendal Lovan; and his longtime companion, Jean Irwin, all of St. Petersburg.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Westminster Palms and Suncoast Hospice.

In lieu of flowers please consider planting a tree or a donation to Ready for Life. (Link at bottom of this page).

A Celebration of Life will be held at St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 1200 Snell Isle Blvd NE Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 10:00 am.