Share William Thompson Fuller's obituary with others.
Invite friends and family to read the obituary and add memories.
Stay updated
We'll notify you when service details or new memories are added.
You're now following this obituary
We'll email you when there are updates.
Please select what you would like included for printing:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
William Thompson
Fuller
April 2, 1922 – June 14, 2009
Obituary
William Thompson Fuller was born in Chicago, Illinois April 2, 1922 to Ada Norfleet Fuller and William Alden Fuller.
He spent most of his summers as a youth traveling the world with his mother. He was on the last ship out of Shanghai when the Japanese invaded and was touring France when the French declared war on Germany.
He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Pentecost School. He also attended St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire before spending one semester at University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1942 graduating in 1945. Upon his graduation in 1945 he married Mary Clare Dortch of Annapolis, Maryland.
He had a 20 year career in the Navy. He was stationed in Coronado, California where he was captain of a minesweeper before attending flight training in Pensacola, Florida where he received his naval wings. He was stationed in Key West, Florida, Washington, DC, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia. He served aboard the USS Forestall, USS Independence and USS Enterprise both as a pilot and as a member of the admiral's staff.
In 1964 he retired from the Navy and moved back to Memphis, Tennessee where he was a member of Second Presbyterian Church. He also served as a trustee of the Memphis University School and he oversaw the operations of the Fuller Farms family business in Gregory, Arkansas.
He spent most of his adult life as a pilot having acquired his own plane after retiring from the Navy. He was an avid boater graduating from ski boats to yachts as time went on. He was an accomplished slalom water skier, skiing well into his 70's. He and Mary moved from Memphis to Boca Raton, Florida in 2006.
He is survived by his wife Mary Dortch Fuller of Boca Raton, Florida, his son William Thompson Fuller, Jr. of Boca Raton, Florida and his daughter Mimi Fuller Ritchie of Birmingham, Alabama. Also survived by his grandsons William Thompson Fuller III and Grant Robert Fuller of Boca Raton, Florida; granddaughters Clare Ritchie French, Catherine Ritchie Bludworth, and grandson Taylor Walker Ritchie of Birmingham, Alabama; and great granddaughters Taylor Evans French and Peyton Norfleet Bludworth of Birmingham, Alabama.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 AC Skinner Pkwy, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256 (woundedwarriorproject.org).
A memorial service will be held 6:00 PM, Thursday, June 18, 2009.
He spent most of his summers as a youth traveling the world with his mother. He was on the last ship out of Shanghai when the Japanese invaded and was touring France when the French declared war on Germany.
He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and attended Pentecost School. He also attended St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire before spending one semester at University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in 1942 graduating in 1945. Upon his graduation in 1945 he married Mary Clare Dortch of Annapolis, Maryland.
He had a 20 year career in the Navy. He was stationed in Coronado, California where he was captain of a minesweeper before attending flight training in Pensacola, Florida where he received his naval wings. He was stationed in Key West, Florida, Washington, DC, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia. He served aboard the USS Forestall, USS Independence and USS Enterprise both as a pilot and as a member of the admiral's staff.
In 1964 he retired from the Navy and moved back to Memphis, Tennessee where he was a member of Second Presbyterian Church. He also served as a trustee of the Memphis University School and he oversaw the operations of the Fuller Farms family business in Gregory, Arkansas.
He spent most of his adult life as a pilot having acquired his own plane after retiring from the Navy. He was an avid boater graduating from ski boats to yachts as time went on. He was an accomplished slalom water skier, skiing well into his 70's. He and Mary moved from Memphis to Boca Raton, Florida in 2006.
He is survived by his wife Mary Dortch Fuller of Boca Raton, Florida, his son William Thompson Fuller, Jr. of Boca Raton, Florida and his daughter Mimi Fuller Ritchie of Birmingham, Alabama. Also survived by his grandsons William Thompson Fuller III and Grant Robert Fuller of Boca Raton, Florida; granddaughters Clare Ritchie French, Catherine Ritchie Bludworth, and grandson Taylor Walker Ritchie of Birmingham, Alabama; and great granddaughters Taylor Evans French and Peyton Norfleet Bludworth of Birmingham, Alabama.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 7020 AC Skinner Pkwy, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32256 (woundedwarriorproject.org).
A memorial service will be held 6:00 PM, Thursday, June 18, 2009.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William Thompson Fuller, please visit our flower store.
William Thompson Fuller's Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors