Ralph Fuller, member #950 of the Radio Club of Tacoma passed away in June. I knew him vaguely back in the late 1970s when I was first a member of RCT (I'm member #743 so a few years before him). May he rest in peace Dave W7UUU
Ralph L. Fuller, KA7FIG SK Ralph Fuller Until the very end, Ralph Fuller's wit remained sharp, his personality big, his mind active. Just one week before his death, Mr. Fuller was playing tournament bridge with his longtime partner in the game, Jerry Thorpe. He died May 26 at the home of his daughter, Rena Fuller O'Brien, under the care of Evergreen Hospice. He was 82. Mr. Fuller was born to Louise Brown Fuller and Robert Joseph Fuller on August 24, 1936 in Vancouver, Washington. He was raised in Camas, and graduated from Camas Senior High School. His skill as a left-handed golfer helped pay his way through the University of Washington, where he pledged a fraternity and joined the crew team as a coxswain. He transferred to Western Washington University in Bellingham to compete on the golf team, and graduated with a degree in education. Mr. Fuller married and had three children, but the marriage was brief and ended in divorce. He raised his children on his own until he married Theresa Marie Dowling. He taught American History at Lakes High School and Mann Junior High School in the Clover Park School District, where he was committed to helping his students follow their career goals. He went on to receive his Master's degree in Education from Pacific Lutheran University. As a teacher with three children to raise, Mr. Fuller worked several part-time jobs. He coached tennis, umpired baseball, was a football referee, a lifeguard. He worked in construction and real-estate development. He brought his children with him everywhere, whistling all the while. He was always sunny and had a wicked sense of humor. A back injury forced him to retire early, but that injury never stopped him from finding ways to help others. He became a CB operator (KA7FIG) and volunteered with the Search & Rescue Team in Pierce County, specializing in the Mt. Rainier area. The work allowed him to communicate with and aid people from all over the Northwest. He achieved his goal of tournament bridge Grand Master in 1992. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother and beloved wife of 49 years, Marie. He is survived by his children, Robert Charles Fuller, Richard Raymond Fuller and Rena Fuller O'Brien (Kevin), and the great lights of his life, his grandchildren, Jessica Bonney Trenkamp (John) Elisabeth Anne O'Brien (Dane Hofbauer), Scott Robert Fuller, Samuel Jordon Fuller. Mary Catherine O'Brien and James Frederick Fuller. He delighted in his two great-grandsons, Colin Edlane Trenkamp and Joseph Martin Trenkamp. Ralph last resided at the Village Green Retirement Center in Federal Way, WA., where he was cared for and beloved. He volunteered until the end by serving on the Resident Board of Directors. There will be a family internment at Portland Memorial, Portland, Oregon. Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on June 23, 2019 https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tribnet/obituary.aspx?n=ralph-fuller&pid=193217888
