Norm

It is with great sadness that I have to tell everyone that Grandpa Norm passed away on Saturday.

If you've ever been over to my parents' house, you have definitely had the pleasure of meeting my grandpa Norm. To my friends, he was known as Norm --- the old man who sat in the living room and watched sports and the OJ Simpson trial 24 hours a day.

Truth be told, I can't remember life without Norm. He lived with my parents since I was 2 years old. He loved to eat, fish, watch Braves baseball, talk bad about the Yankees, eat, and watch Court TV (when the OJ Simpson trial was going, I don't think he left his chair...we had to bring him food and drinks because he was afraid that he would miss something). We all have a thousand stories and memories from over the years and I won't go into them all, but I will highlight a few:

1. I laugh everytime I think that his whole life was spent worrying that Denny, dad, and I were stealing his socks. For over 10 years he marked his socks with a big black "N" or "NORM" on them. This did nothing but encourage us to mark all of our socks with an "N" or "NORM" on ours.

2. On the same lines; how about the time that he accused me of stealing his underwear. I don't think I have to tell that many of you that this argument went nowhere for him. But, again, he began marking all of his underwear.

3. He spent 20 years in the Navy and never knew how to swim.

4. He has tattoo's from his days in the navy that he got for under a dollar. When he was younger, he could make the hula girl on his leg dance.

5. He loved it when groceries went on sale. There was a point when he would buy coffee, toilet paper, and other items in bulk. I remember when we ran out of room in our pantry because he had bought 15 containers of coffee. Do you know how long it takes to drink 15 large containers of coffee? A long time. I won't start to tell you how much toilet paper we had when it went on sale.

6. He avoided work at all costs....but he was a great supervisor.

7. How about the countless times that he would lick his plate at the dinner table? We all laughed about it and we were careful not to put the smaller kids by him because they may have lost an arm. Remember though, he was only 6 years old during The Great Depression. Food was scarce.

8. Does anyone else remember when I convinced him that I met Sarah at the 6th Avenue? His response to it, "She seems like a nice girl".

I'll stop here, but you are all welcome to add comments about the times you remember.

As much as we'll all miss him, it's good to know that he is in a better place.

For those of you who would like to attend, the visitation is from 1-3 pm at the Fitzpatrick-Pearce Funeral Home in West Terre Haute and the service starts at 3 pm. For those who would like to remember Norm but can't make it, I ask that you tip your glasses this week while watching the NCAA tournament....he would have liked that.

Here is a copy of his obituary. It can also be found online at: http://www.legacy.com/tribstar/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=106257712
Norman W. Fuller
Norman W. Fuller, 83, of West Terre Haute, passed away Saturday, March 22, 2008, in Union Hospital in Terre Haute. He was born Dec. 27, 1924, in Unity, Wis., to Marion Fuller and Katherine Mae Patrick Fuller. He retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service and later operated the Clark Oil gas station in West Terre Haute for many years. He married Mae Stultz Fuller in 1950, in Norfolk, Va., and she preceded him in death. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club.Survivors include his children, Eugene Fuller, Ann Nens and her husband John, Jerry Fuller and his wife Della, Mary Foster, Kathy Pigg and her husband Denny, Norman “Buddy” Fuller and his wife Wendy and Chuck Fuller and his wife Julia; two brothers, Neil and Nyole Fuller; a sister, Natalie Fuller; grandchildren, John Nens, Angie Styles and her husband Barry, Annette Nens, Jerry Lee Fuller and his wife Wendy Wong, Laura Lee Smith and her husband Vince, Elinor Ann Fuller, Paul Meadlo and his wife Donna, Teresa Meadlo, Susan Kelley and her husband Tim, Deniese Herring and her husband Trent, DeAnna Auterson and her husband Clint, Denny Mac Pigg and his wife Tara, Daniel Pigg and his wife Sarah, Danielle, Cody, and Desirae Fuller, Daniel Woelfel, Sherry, Genie Jo, Robin, and Alan Fuller; great-grandchildren, Alyssa and Caroline Nens, Tyler and Adrienne Styles, Kelly, Lauren, and Lucas Meadlo, Rokxton and David Meadlo, Alisha, David, Shane, Cody, Trevor, and Katie Kelley, Emma and Isaac Auterson, Makayla and Sadie Herring, Amanda and Dallas Smith, Garrick Wong Fuller and Lily Mae Pigg.Services are 3 p.m. Tuesday in Fitzpatrick Funeral Home, 220 N. Third St., West Terre Haute, with Pastor Scott Combs officiating and military rites by Vigo County Veterans Honorguard. Visitation is 1 p.m. until service time Tuesday. Cremation has been scheduled after service. The family suggests that if friends so desire, memorial contributions may be made to St. Judes Hospital with envelopes available in the funeral home.