In Memory of Niels H. Fischer

Niels H. Fischer, FSA 1953, MAAA 1965, of Needham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 4, 2020 at the age of 93. Born in New York City, Niels was sent to Middlebury College by the V-12 Navy College Training Program during World War II and received his bachelor's degree from the school in 1948.  Niels worked for Aetna for 26 years and eventually led its health insurance line of business. He later worked at John Hancock before founding Bay State Actuaries, a consulting practice headquartered in Needham. Niels was a frequent contributor to the actuarial profession and the insurance industry, both as author and speaker.  Among his achievements, he co-authored the SOA textbook 'Health Insurance Through Individual Policies', was a contributor to Huebner and Black's 'Life Insurance', and wrote articles for Money Magazine, Best's Review and Insurance Advocate.  In 1995, he published with co-author Ernest Moorhead, a former president of both the SOA and AAA, 'Testing Financial Stability of Continuing Care Retirement Communities', a seminal paper to guide actuaries hired to produce an actuarial opinion as to the likely solvency of a CCRC.

Niels enjoyed time with family. He was married for 57 years to Virginia Fischer, who predeceased him in 2007. He enjoyed hosting family events, especially at Christmas, and was an active member of the Congregational Church of Needham. A devoted father and grandfather, Niels spent countless hours at youth sporting events. He was an accomplished bridge player and highly skilled at solving New York Times and Boston Globe crossword puzzles. After retirement, Niels mentored entrepreneurs as an active member of the Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) and served as a regional director of that organization. In addition to his wife Virginia, Niels was predeceased by a sister, Louise Cole, and his oldest son, Mark Fischer. He leaves sons Paul Fischer, FSA 1980, MAAA 1978, (Maxine) of South Windsor, CT; Jack Fischer (Susan) of Marblehead, MA; and Jim Fischer (Maria Amoroso) of Hadden Heights, NJ; as well as several grandchildren, two nephews and a niece. In memory of Neils, donations may be made to the Score Foundation www.score.org.