William Fish, municipal bond veteran, dies at 79; had worked at DLJ, AIG
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William W. “Bill” Fish, who spent his career working with municipal bonds, died on Feb. 18 at The Connecticut Hospice overlooking the Long Island Sound, which he loved.
Mr. Fish was born on Nov. 12, 1944, in Brunswick, Maine. He attended Bowdoin College, graduating in 1966 with a degree in biology and psychology. In his senior year, he met his future wife, Carolyn Davis. They were married on Sept. 26, 1970, and remained married for 53 years.
Mr. Fish was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy in 1966 and served until 1969, completing two active-duty tours as an ensign aboard the destroyer USS Everett Larsen. He served as the ship’s navigator, gunnery officer and drone helicopter controller. He stayed in the reserves after the war, retiring with the rank of lieutenant.
He earned an MBA in finance from the University at Albany in 1973, then began his career in municipal finance, initially specializing in municipal bond research with Bankers Trust Co., Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette and ABN Amro.
From 1973 to 1976 at Bankers Trust, he was a municipal bond analyst, supporting sales and underwriting and started a weekly publication for institutional investors.
He was at DLJ from 1976 to 1995, leading the research group for 10 years; he was voted number one muni generalist by Institutional Investor from 1990 to 1994. He published weekly research reports, held yearly seminars for clients, supported sales and underwriting and tracked economic indicators for states and large metropolitan areas.
He worked as head of municipal research at ABN Amro from 1995 to 1996.
Mr. Fish spent almost 15 years with American International Group, serving from 1996 to 2006 as managing director and head of municipal investments and then chief investment officer. He was CIO at Chartis Insurance, now the P&C arm of AIG, from 2006-2010.
He was a Governmental Accounting Standards Board member from 2012 to 2016 and helped rewrite pension, accounting and reporting standards for GASB.
Mr. Fish belonged to the Municipal Analysts Group of New York and served as its chair from 1980 to 1981. He was a member of the Society of Municipal Analysts and its president from 1997 to 1998. He was also a member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and received its career achievement award in 1999.
After he retired, Mr. Fish volunteered to lead the LED Streetlight Conversion Project for his hometown of Westbrook, Connecticut. While his efforts saved the town money, the project was important to him because it was environmentally friendly, helping the town cut down on its energy usage.
Mr. Fish also volunteered for many other organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, the Rowayton Civic Association, the United Church of Rowayton and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
In his leisure time, he liked sailing and swimming in the Long Island Sound, completing do-it-yourself projects around the house, photographing nature and traveling with his family. His family and faith were the cornerstones of his life; he was a member of both the United Church of Rowayton and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
In 2020, Mr. Fish was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Despite the illness, he remained positive and grateful.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Fish, his children, Amy and David Fish, daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Feeherry, son-in-law, Edward Lott, and his grandchildren, Sarah Lott, Abigail Lott, Caroline Fish and William Fish.
A memorial service will be held at noon, EDT, on April 20, at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, followed by a lunch reception. Burial will be private.
At Mr. Fish’s request, memorial donations may be made to The Connecticut Hospice of Branford or The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Connecticut.
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