The Chairman and CEO of Vogue Tyre & Rubber Co., Joel Fischer, died on July 22, 2018, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 89. Vogue credits Fischer as the one "singularly responsible" for building the company into what it is today. He joined the company in 1954, and until 1958 he was the one and only salesperson. He traveled all over the eastern part of the country, sometimes by train, other times by car, to find and establish customers. His wife Lucile often traveled with him.
Greg Hathcock, Vogue's president, says, “He often told me that he had to sell at least seven tires a day to break even.”
Fischer built the company's employee culture, and made sure Vogue treated its employees well. It was his idea to create a profit-sharing plan. Employees have benefited from it for more than 60 years. "He always conducted himself with integrity and humility, despite his significant professional achievements," the company says. "Vogue was a great passion for Joel. He had genuine interest in the people who worked for Vogue Tyre beyond their roles at the company."
He retired from Vogue in 1997, but continued to serve as chairman of the board and CEO. "Joel will be dearly missed by his family, who came to know his great sense of humor and benefited from his insights, experience, and generosity with his time."
Away from the company, Fischer was a great basketball player. He played at the University of Southern California in the 1940s, after turning down an offer to play at UCLA. At the time, the Bruins had a new and unknown coach — John Wooden.
He had six holes in one on his career golf scorecard, and was offered the position of United States Air Force Attaché in Paris in 1953 after rising to the rank of Colonel in the Air Force.
He served on the board of directors at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Ill., and at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Fischer is survived by his wife of more than 67 years, Lucile, and many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. A memorial service will take place this fall in Palm Desert, California, but details have not yet been finalized. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to: Eisenhower Health, Attention: Foundation, 39000 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.
