Obituary of Robert Dale Fuller

Robert Dale Fuller unexpectedly died in his sleep at his home in Sequim, Washington, on VJ Day, September 2, 2020. Our remarkable father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Bob, was born in New Underwood, South Dakota, on December 7, 1925.

He first attended school in the one-room Fuller School his own father had attended, and his grandfather had built, on the prairie near Owanka, South Dakota. In 1934, his parents, Milo Vernette Fuller (1899-1992) and Dorothy Rose (Platt) Fuller (1900-1986), sold their ranch and moved the family to Washington near Little Rock. 

Bob and his little sister, Sara Ellen Fuller (1928-1993; married to Lyle Eugene Simmons), and big brother, Charles Vernette Fuller (1923-2018; married to Margaret Anne Hutchinson), grew up on the 80-acre Fuller farm, putting up hay, gardening, milking cows, raising chickens and turkeys, gathering eggs, and splitting wood for the winter.

During high school, Bob met his future bride, Geraldine Blanche Gault (1927-2017). He would ride horseback on his pinto, Torchy, across the Black River Valley and into the hills along Stony Creek to visit Gerry.

Soon after graduating from Olympia High School in 1943, Bob followed his brother's footsteps and enlisted in the Navy. He was shipped out for training at Memphis, Miami, and Honolulu before ultimately joining the carrier Wasp's Torpedo Squad 86, where he served as a torpedo bomber radioman/gunner. His final action in the Pacific was a bombing run to Japan that was turned back mid-mission because of Japan's surrender that very day. 

Thereafter, he continued working on flights over Japan, searching for and dropping supplies to U.S. prisoners of war, including some who were identified as being from Bataan and Corregidor.

 
Following his Navy discharge with honors in 1946, Bob returned to Thurston County and married Gerry in 1947. Gerry and Bob were excellent partners on the dance floor and in life.

She encouraged him to pursue higher education and so he attended college at South Dakota's Rapid City School of Mines. After receiving his engineering degree, Bob began his 30-year career with Boeing in Seattle, as did Gerry.

In 1986, Bob retired from his rewarding career as an engineer, designing tools used to manufacture various Boeing aircraft. He and Gerry filled their lives with golf, bridge, and other activities at Rainier Golf and Country Club, and then later at Meridian Valley Country Club. As soon as they could, they introduced their only grandson, Nick, to golf and became involved in MVCC's junior golf program.

As Nick moved on to other sports, they followed him to the cross country courses, the soccer fields, the basketball gyms, the track fields, etc. Bob and Gerry also enjoyed travel, gardening and boating. In addition, Bob meticulously researched and organized the family's historical materials and genealogy going back hundreds of years.

In 1999, they moved to sunny Sequim, Washington, where they built a fancy new home. There, they enjoyed the beauty of Hood Canal, the Olympics, and the Straits. There too for nearly two happy decades, they stayed busy with their favorite pursuits, and enjoyed the company of family and many close friends, old and new. Often, they wintered in Hawaii or southern California.

Bob was preceded in death by his devoted wife of 70 years, Gerry; his brother, Charles; sister, Sara; and his parents, Milo and Dorothy Fuller. He is survived by his son, Greg Fuller (Deanna); grandson, Nicholas Jennings Fuller (Celine); great grandson, Roscoe Ui Fuller; sister-in-law, Margaret Fuller; and several nieces and nephews.

He was our steady, guiding star, a great loving force who broke trail for us, kindly showing the unique paths we each might follow. He was loyal, patient, and utterly dependable. He was caring, generous, fun, loving, and supportive. Dad always had an interesting story or two to share, but was also a good listener and eager to make a new acquaintance. He was stubbornly independent and absolutely self-reliant. He was a card-meister with a keen memory for details to the end.

And to his end, he was fiercely proud of his humble heritage, of his service to our country, and of his loving family. Most of all though, he was proud of the well-lived life he and the logger's daughter from far across the Black River forged together. We shall all miss him so, our beloved Bob.

The family is arranging an interment service at the grave of Geraldine B. Fuller at the Masonic Memorial Park, Tumwater, Washington. Later on, a memorial service to celebrate Bob's life and his many accomplishments will be arranged for friends and family once large groups can safely gather together again.

 

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