Donald Claude Fuller of Calverton Dies May 29

icon 1 Photo
Donald Claude Fuller

Donald Claude Fuller

authorStaff Writer on Jun 2, 2023

Donald Claude Fuller of Calverton died on May 29, following a long illness. He was 
88.

Born in Ellisburg, New York in 1934 to Claude Eugene Fuller and Iona (Rose) Fuller, he graduated from Shelter Island High School in 1952 and studied forestry at New York State Rangers School in Wanakena, New York, before attending Syracuse University and then graduating with an associate’s degree in highway and bridge construction from SUNY Farmingdale Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute, in 1957.

He then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1958 and served eight years in the reserves. He married Deanna C. (Urban) Fuller, also of Shelter Island, on May 5, 1962, and raised their four children in Southampton.

He began his career at Lockheed, Kessler and Bartlett in 1957, where he served as an engineer in charge of the roadside improvement of the Sunrise Highway Extension in Shinnecock. He was then employed by the Suffolk County Department of Public works in 1962 as a civil engineer involved in numerous highway projects, including supervising the construction of the Ponquogue Bridge, Dune Road in Westhampton and Route 24, until his retirement in 1991.

He was extremely active in the local community as a founding member of the Suffolk Federal Credit Union in 1972 and served on the credit committee for over 20 years.

He served as a Decon at the Southampton Presbyterian Church and volunteered for the local 4H and the Water Mill Community House, where he helped maintain the soccer fields and coached youth soccer.

He enjoyed camping and fishing with family and friends and was a member of the National Camping and Hiking Association (NCHA).

Later in life, he and his wife looked forward to spending time with his children and grandchildren at their homes in Hampton Bays, Boynton Beach, Florida, and Calverton.

He is survived by his wife, Deanna; his four children, Shelly Bagelmann, Linda (Joe) Miller, Scott (Kelly) Fuller, Eric (Erica) Fuller; his grandchildren, Kelsey Bagelmann, Zackery Kline, Brooke Fuller and Trevor Fuller; sister Vernie (Fuller) Grammer; sister-in-law June Fuller; brother-in-law Leo (Penny) Urban; and many nieces and nephews.

Information on a memorial service will follow at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home.

You May Also Like:

‘Good for Everyone’: ACCESSforALL Helps Arts Groups, Businesses Push Forward on Inclusion

In Brian O’Mahoney’s eyes, “disability” does not need to be an intimidating word. But for ... 26 Nov 2025 by Michelle Trauring

Community News, November 27

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS Hampton Bays Fire Department Turkey Trot The Hampton Bays Fire Department will host ... by Staff Writer

School News, November 27, Southampton Town

Southampton Students Inducted Into National Honor Society Thirty Southampton High School students were recently inducted ... by Staff Writer

Gold Stars and Dunce Caps

⭐️ : To Cami Hatch, for reminding everyone why learning to swim and lifeguard training are important. The East Hampton graduate, now a University of Tennessee student, has been studying in Italy and was visiting Malta recently when she heard a fellow beachgoer whistling. “That whistle unlocked a new mode in my brain. For lifeguards, when you hear a whistle it means, ‘Heads up — get ready to go,’ as Big John and Johnny Ryan have instilled in us over the years,” she said, shouting out her lifeguard instructors. She dove in and saved a foundering Englishman, who was in ... by Editorial Board

Monday Traffic Snarls Implode Hopes for Improvements Along CR39

Traffic on Monday night in the Southampton region was snarled to an extent that, while ... by Michael Wright

New Shinnecock Curriculum Begins in Southampton Elementary Classrooms

Standing at the podium at a recent Southampton Board of Education meeting, ELA teacher Nature ... by Michelle Trauring

Yacht Hampton 'Boating Club' in Noyac Comes to Planning Board

The owner of a Noyac marina that has served as a hub for boat charters, ... by Michael Wright

'Bled by Our Side'

The combination of the new Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution and the rosy image of the first Thanksgiving led me to recall a 1778 event that exemplifies the true relationship between the white settlers and the Indigenous population. And that relationship spread west as the settlers did. During the war, the Stockbridge Mohicans, along with the Oneida, Tuscarora and a handful of other Indigenous nations, allied with the American colonists in their struggle for independence from Britain. Many of these communities hoped that their military support would ensure recognition of their sovereignty and protection of their lands. Instead, ... by Tom Clavin

Another Chance

Will Governor Kathy Hochul sign, or again veto, a bill to protect horseshoe crabs that again passed by large majorities in the State Legislature earlier this year? Hochul vetoed the same bill last year. She claimed then that the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act was “well intentioned,” but their management should best be left with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. She said the DEC has “significant rules and regulations regarding commercial and recreational fishing in the state.” It currently has an annual quota of 150,000 horseshoe crabs that can be taken. Environmentalists have been actively calling on Hochul to sign ... by Karl Grossman

Dispensary Charlie Fox Opens, Again, This Time With Town Approval

The cannabis dispensary Charlie Fox reopened for business on Monday, this time with the official ... 25 Nov 2025 by Michael Wright