A Celebration of Life was held for Deo on 15 February
in the Mel Fisher Heritage Society Museum courtyard.
Thank You to all who joined us in remembering a wonderful
and dedicated woman. For all who could not attend, please
enjoy the video tribute, video memorial and pictures of the
event below.
Deo Fisher was a remarkable woman who lived a remarkable life. She was a mother, a wife, a grandmother and the caretaker to an
extended family of treasure hunters. For those of us whose life she touched, she was the ballast that steadied our ship.
Dolores Horton began her life in small-town Montana, where she would eventually return to spend the final days of her life.
She moved to California with her Mother, Uncle and sisters at 15 when her mother purchased a chicken farm there. It was at
this chicken farm where she would meet Mel Fisher and her life would be changed forever.
Together, Deo and Mel revolutionized the diving industry. They opened Mel’s Aqua Shop, the first dive shop on the west coast,
in the shed behind the chicken farm. They trained over 65,000 people to dive using SCUBA. They took part in many adventures
that included everything from dredging for gold in the rivers of California to crossing the Panama Canal to go treasure hunting
at Silver Shoals.
In 1959, Deo made her own mark on the diving industry when she set the underwater endurance world record inside a 10-foot deep
porpoise tank. She stayed in that tank for 55 hours and 37 minutes. Her adventurous spirit and love of SCUBA inspired women
around the country to try the new and exciting sport.
In 1963, Deo and Mel would embark on the biggest adventure of their lives. They brought their four children across the country
to Florida to begin treasure hunting on the 1715 Fleet. After a couple of successful seasons on the Treasure Coast, Deo and Mel
moved to the Keys where they would begin a hunt that would last the rest of their lives, and would define their place in history
as the world’s greatest treasure hunters.
Throughout the search for the Atocha, Deo was the person who kept Mel focused. She was a mother to not only her children, but
to a family of young treasure hunters with visions of gold and silver in their heads. If they were hungry she would feed them,
if they were cold she would clothe them, and if they just needed someone to talk to she was there.
Deo supported Mel when everyone else called him a dreamer. She believed in him when no one else would. She encouraged him and
her children to follow their dreams. She did everything she could to help her family succeed, even when it got in the way of
her own wants or needs.
Deo will always be remembered as the backbone of her family’s business, but she was much more than that. She was there with a
smile when there was nothing to smile about, a hug when you needed it, and a kick in the pants, too, if that was needed. She
was an incredible mother and wife. For me, she was “The World’s Greatest Grandmother”.
We will all miss her very much. She will be smiling down on us with Mel, Dirk, Angel and Michael as we continue on the quest
that they started, finding history’s most incredible lost galleons and recovering them for the world to enjoy.
Written by: Sean Fisher
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If you would like to make a donation in Deo's Name,
here were her favorite three charities:
The Michael Abt Jr., Have a Heart Foundation
CHECK: Payable to: The Michael Abt Jr., Have a Heart Foundation
Mail to: 6780 – 85th Street
Vero Beach, Florida 32967
Or call: 772-473-6093
Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society
CREDIT CARD: Visit www.melfisher.org/donate.html
CHECK: Payable to: Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society
Mail to: Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society
200 Greene St.
Key West, FL 33040
Hospice of the Florida Keys, Inc.
CREDIT CARD: Call 305-294-8812
CHECK: Payable to: HOSPICE/VNA
Mail to: Hospice of the Florida Keys, Inc.
1319 William St.
Key West, FL 33040-4736
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