A fixture of the Dartmouth, N.S., retail scene who operated a stationery shop on Portland Street for 54 years died on Saturday evening.

Gloria Fisher, 94, ran Fisher's Stationery and was revered by clients for her memory, pleasant demeanour and dedication to customer service.

"She remembered them all by name. She remembered exactly what they bought. She could tell you whether that person bought wedding invitations from you in 1965. She was just that kind of person," said Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP Darren Fisher, who is one of her grandchildren.

'That grandmotherly feel'

He says that most of her customers called her Mrs. Fisher, which was a sign of the respect they had for her.

Fisher took an interest in her customers lives and remembered even the most minute details. In later years, loyal customers helped out by cleaning the store and putting items on shelves.​

"She became a friend to all," said Darren Fisher.

Fisher's Stationery started in 1959 at the suggestion of Fisher's husband, Harold, who pre-deceased her.

The business lived through good and bad economic times in downtown Dartmouth and closed in 2013 when poor health forced Fisher to retire.

Fisher says his grandmother would have loved to see what's happening in downtown Dartmouth, which has become a trendy area to live and work.

'Something she always hoped for'

"I'm sure if she had a regret, it's that she wasn't able to hold on long enough to see the rebirth of the downtown area because downtown is becoming a booming area and it's something she always hoped for," he said.

Fisher was a comforting presence for the people who shopped there, such as customer Lorna Randall. She began shopping there in the 1960s and says that even when she was pressed for time, she would always stay a little longer.

"I didn't want to leave. It was that grandmotherly feel," Randall said.

Darren Fisher says his grandmother's customers were her life. (Darren Fisher/Facebook)

Pauline Irvin-Hunter also began shopping there when she was young. Later in life, going to the store evoked pleasant memories.

"Even as an adult going into her store, it was like stepping back in time. It felt the same, it smelled the same and she was still there behind the counter," she said.

Irvin-Hunter thinks Fisher may have played a role in the downtown Dartmouth renaissance.

"There are a lot of young women who are entrepreneurs. Maybe, I'm just surmising here, maybe they looked to Mrs. Fisher as inspiration. I'm hoping, I'm hoping that might be true," she said.

Funeral details are still being arranged.​