Manley G. Fuller, 94, of Lancaster passed away with family holding his hands at Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster on April 18, 2015, three days before his 95th birthday.
One of 12 children, born to Albert and Agnes (Brown) Fuller in Searsmont, Maine, he survived many years of poverty during the Depression. Manley worked in the shipyards of Camden, ME before joining the Army and going off to WWII. During the war he saw heavy combat in Europe with the 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division. Manley received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for action in the Battle of the Bulge and enjoyed discussing his war experiences in later life.
Manley married Amber Philbrook in 1952 and the couple divided their time between Maine and Massachusetts. They had 59 years of married life before her death in 2012. Their daughter Debra A. (Fuller) O'Connor of Natick predeceased them in1992.
A jack of all trades, Manley worked a variety of jobs throughout his life. He had his own painting contractor business in Brunswick, Maine, and drove trucks for the Southern New England Adventist Conference for 17 years. Even in his final year, he stayed active and had to be persuaded to delegate any jobs involving ladders.
He is survived by his son, Douglas Fuller and his wife, Kate, of Natick; one sister, Madeline (Fuller) Patten of Belmont, Maine; and five grandchildren, Sarah and Kate O'Connor; and Adam, Jared and Colin Fuller.
Per his request, services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Volunteer Humane Society, 505 Center Bridge Rd, Lancaster, MA 01523. His memory will also be honored every time you thank a veteran, fill a bird-feeder, or eat a bowl of ice cream bigger than what you had for supper. Arrangements are being made under the direction of the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street, at Natick Common.