Walter McIntyre Fish Jr., 75

By Sally Downey INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: April 28, 2008

Walter McIntyre Fish Jr., 75, of Strafford, a former Franklin Mint executive and co-owner of Educational Communications Inc., died of heart failure April 4 at Haverford Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Fish graduated from Haverford High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Dickinson College in 1954 and later served as president of the school's alumni association.

After graduation, he was a copy editor at Curtis Publishing Co. in Philadelphia and later became a creative director. From 1968 to 1978, he was an executive for the N.W. Ayer advertising agency and established Ayer Direct, the company's direct-mail operation. He joined Franklin Mint as a vice president of marketing in 1974 and for six years was president of the company's European office, based in London. In 1997, he founded Educational Communications with Philip Minter to produce corporate training videos. He retired in 1994.

Mr. Fish was past president of the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association; chaired the direct marketing Committee of the American Association of Advertising; and served on the board of the British Direct Marketing Association.

He enjoyed family vacations at the Jersey shore and in Bermuda and had skied all over the U.S., Canada and Europe, his brother, G. David Fish, said. He loved to entertain, his brother said, and hosted clam bakes and a pig roast at his home, a large converted barn in Strafford.

Mr. Fish is also survived by his wife of more than 49 years, Patricia Naylor Fish; daughter Susan Ingall; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. May 17 at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr.

Contact staff writer Sally Downey at 215-854-2913 or sdowney@phillynews.com.