Published February 1, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. | Updated February 1, 2023 at 12:42 p.m.
Todd William Fisk died on January 30, 2023, following an extended battle with cancer.
Todd was born on March 2, 1967, in Newport, Vt., to Judith and William Fisk. He grew up in South Burlington, Vt., along with his older sisters, Tracy and Kelli. He graduated from South Burlington High School in 1985 and from the University of Vermont in 1994. An avid cyclist, he could often be found riding his bike around town, eventually developing some very impressive calf muscles (of which he was understandably proud).
Todd was kind, funny, insightful and generous. One of his great skills was creating and maintaining deep friendships. He was an adventurer, constantly looking to step out of his comfort zone and try new experiences. As a young man, he jumped off cliffs, traveled to Morocco, worked at a ranch in Wyoming and hopped trains across the country with friends. Always a Vermonter at heart, he loved flannel and apple pies and annual apple picking. He was a master at baking pies, a ritual so important it almost bordered on religion for him.
Todd was creative, artistic and curious. He was always exploring art, music and films and excitedly sharing discoveries with friends. He was a connoisseur of movies; his desire to get involved in the film industry brought him from Vermont to Los Angeles in 1998. He spent a few years in California, working for Disney and UCLA and writing a couple of screenplays.
Todd had a deep interest in politics and social change; he spent much of his life striving to make a difference in the world. Prior to his move to California, he worked for Vermont Public Interest Research Group. When he left LA for Washington, D.C., in 2002, his professional focus became managing technology and media projects in nonprofit and government agencies. Over the next 15 years, he served in a variety of roles in different U.S. Department of Education projects, in particular at FHI360 and AED.
But the most important roles in Todd’s life — the ones of which he was most proud — were those of husband and father. In 2012, he met and fell in love with Inga Lukaviciute. They married in 2015 and welcomed their first son, Henry, in 2016. In 2019, Henry was joined by his brother, Lukas.
In the spring of 2019, Todd was diagnosed with rare spinal and brain cancer. He handled his diagnosis and multiple grueling treatments, both standard and experimental, with strength, humor, optimism and grace. He passed away peacefully at his home in Gaithersburg, Md., surrounded by his family. He was deeply loved and will be missed by his family, his many friends and anyone fortunate enough to know him.
He is survived by his wife, Inga Fisk, and sons Henry and Lukas Fisk; his mother, Judith (Lawson) Fisk; his father, William Fisk; and his sisters, Tracy Gallo and her husband, Shawn, and Kelli Scheibenhoffer and her husband, David.
Making sure Henry and Lukas would be taken care of was a priority for Todd. In lieu of flowers, donations to their education fund can be made either via Venmo to Inga Fisk @ingute or by check to Inga Fisk, 928 Beacon Square Ct., Apt. 137, Gaithersburg, MD 20878.