Obituaries

“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.” (John 20:31)

Frank Herbert Fuller peacefully passed on to his heavenly home on July 19, 2023 at Agrace Hospice Care in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

Frank was born on December 21, 1958 in Royal Oak, Michigan to John and Ruth Fuller; he was the youngest of seven children. His family moved to Ambridge, Pennsylvania in 1960 and then to Glenview, Illinois in 1971. Frank played the clarinet early on, then moved on to the percussion section where he played bass drum at Glenbrook South High School in a marching band. That band was the first Illinois high school band to march in the Orange Bowl parade, a memory that Frank cherished. Frank always referred to himself as “from Chicago” and was an avid Bears fan; he loved deep dish pizza and Portillo’s Italian beef sandwiches. As an adult he lived in McHenry, Illinois and Cincinnati, Ohio. His most recent home was in Iron River, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula (the “UP”).

After high school Frank attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois to study engineering. After college, Frank’s career had him wearing many “hats”, including “big box store” management and heading up his own remodel construction company. Frank would say his true calling was to be a kitchen designer; he was very proud to have designed kitchens for the Cincinnati area Panorama of Homes. Many of his family members and friends have been happy recipients of his remodel designs as well as his garage reorganization skills. Frank was active in altruist endeavors through Home Depot, helping to build playgrounds for children in areas of economic need. He and his wife Karyn often opened their home to people in need and invited singles to holiday celebrations while living in Ohio.

Frank was a natural leader. With an outgoing charismatic humor and smile, he met and made friends easily. Frank was a great listener and “the guy” to call for good, thoughtful advice. He kept connections going between family members and had special bonds with his fourteen great-nephews and great-nieces. Frank was very intelligent and made a patient teacher/mentor to all ages, especially in home repairs and fishing.

Fishing was a passion for Frank. He and Karyn made numerous vacation trips, including their honeymoon, to a cabin on Lake Emily near Iron River, Michigan. Anyone who dropped in on them at Lake Emily soon found out that the priorities were fishing, eating lots of Karyn’s cooking, and having fun. They both dreamt of living in the UP. Frank was able to fulfill part of that dream as he and his sister Betty combined forces to buy and restore a home in Iron River. Sadly, Karyn passed away before she could be a part of the dream with him.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife Karyn, his parents John and Ruth Fuller, his brothers Doug and Fred, and his sister Margie. He is survived by his brother Jim (Lyn) Fuller, sisters Barb Fuller Galarza and Betty Fuller, brother-in-law Bill Goerman, son Ray (Keri) Fuller and daughter Tamlyn (Robert) Fuller Nuccio (children of Gail Gorr Fuller), six grandchildren, eight nephews and nieces, and fourteen great-nephews and great-nieces, along with very close friends Jason (Colleen) Cochran, Bill and Lisa Sutherland, Peter Garcia and Ashley Hopkins to name a few. His family would like to thank all of the people in his life who reached out with stories of how dearly he was loved and how much he is missed.

On July 8, 2024, friends and family gathered on a beautiful UP day on the shore of Lake Emily for a memorial service to share memories and to celebrate Frank’s life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Iron County Historical and Museum Society (ICHMS) in Caspian, Michigan. This was a favorite place for both Frank and Karyn. A memorial brick for Frank will be made to place alongside the one already there for Karyn. To donate to the brick and the museum please contact Frank’s sister Betty Fuller. Donations to this 501(c)(3) organization may be made directly at www.IronCountyMuseum.org as well.