RIP Don Fullmer

[Kim Foxwell]

FULLMER, Donald "Don" Raymond, 82, Mechanicsville, Va., passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 13, 2022. Born February 29, 1940, in Waukesha, Wis., to Raymond and Emmarette Wright Fullmer and raised in Clinton, Ind., he was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Maurice Davis; and niece, Marlene Maxwell. He is survived by his daughters, Kimberly Foxwell (Andy) and Melissa Hicks (Mike); grandchildren, Andrew Tyler Foxwell, Lindsey Jacobs and Krista Hicks; and niece, Diana Haverberg (John). Don proudly served in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Cony and retired from the City of Richmond as an Arborist/Horticulturist after 33 years. He was a recipient of awards for landscape design and woodworking. He enjoyed travelling the world, including Egypt, Tahiti, France, England and regularly to Hawaii. Don's greatest passions were fishing "any and every" pond and playing his steel guitars (member since 1966 of the Aloha International Steel Guitar Club) He also enjoyed winning Bingo, telling jokes and showing off his prized 5-inch Megalodon shark tooth he found on the Virginia shores. Heartfelt thanks to his caregivers, June Aherron, Brenda Cook and Bon Secours Hospice. Don was a cherished father, grandfather and genuine friend to many and will be deeply missed and forever in our hearts. The family will honor his memory privately and asks those who wish to express sympathy to plant a tree or flowers in remembrance.

[Jim Fogle]

Kim, thank you for the update. I'm sorry to read of Don's passing.

[Tommy Detamore]

So sorry to hear about Don. I knew him back in my Richmond, Va days. He was a true original for sure. He had a cool Bos-San steel built by Harold Spain in Hopewell, Va. It had “reverse” E9 pedals, meaning that the open tuning on the guitar was what you would normally get with the A and B pedals pressed (producing an A major chord), and the pedals lowered 3,6,5, and 10 to get the familiar open E tuning. It boggled my feeble mind but Don got along with it just fine.

[Nick Reed]

I met Don about 15 years ago at the Brandenton Steel Guitar Jam. He was playing a non pedal D-10 that Phil Bender made for him.

[Fred Thompson]

So sorry to hear this.. Don was a treasured friend for 16+ years and shared his knowledge of the steel guitar with me when we lived in Bushnell.. Rest in Peace, my friend..

Fred

[Willis Vanderberg]

I spent some time with Don when he came down to Bradenton.
He was very knowledgeable about some off beat aspects of the steel guitar.
I did enjoy the visit.
Too many leaving us…..

[Graham Bland]

So sorry to hear of Don’s passing.
Kim, your father was a good friend to me and use to come to my recording studio in Richmond and hang out…what a wonderful person and so knowledgeable about the steel guitar!…my deepest condolences to you and your family!

[Evelyn Whitney]

I have just become aware that the Steel Guitar Forum is back in business. So sorry today to see so many of our friends passing on this forum. Leonard T Zinn passed away on Feb 3rd here in our home. He was 97 years old. He had been in hospital for a week and the doctors told us he could not swallow. He did survive for 2 more weeks. He passed very peacefully.

[Evelyn Whitney]

Want to say that Leonard T Zinn would have expressed his sadness at the passing of his friend , Don Fulmer and so do I .