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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of World War II veteran and volunteer |
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bugler Hugh Bob Fuller, Sr., of Waco on January 30, 2007, at the age |
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of 82, will long be mourned by his family, friends, and fellow |
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veterans; and |
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WHEREAS, Born October 17, 1924, in Rogers to Omar Frank and |
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Nell Fuller, Hugh Bob Fuller got his first horn, a three dollar |
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cornet, from his father in 1937; following his graduation from Waco |
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High School, the 17-year-old ROTC student attended Tarleton College |
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in Stephenville and played "Taps" for the first time at a memorial |
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service held on campus after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty, Mr. Fuller |
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served from 1942 to 1946 with the 69th Infantry Division of the |
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United States Army in the European theater, where he was wounded in |
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the Battle of the Bulge and witnessed the liberation of Buchenwald |
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concentration camp; and |
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WHEREAS, Returning to Waco, he attended Baylor University and |
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played in the school band; when his father fell ill, he quit college |
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and abandoned his goal of becoming a band director to take over the |
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family business, Fuller Auto Parts; while running the operation, he |
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continued to play in an 11-piece dance band called Reminiscence, |
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which performed favorite tunes from the big band era at dances, |
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weddings, and the Shriners Christmas Ball; and |
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WHEREAS, After selling the business and retiring, Mr. Fuller |
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gave generously of his time and resources to play "Taps" at |
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veterans' funerals; Mr. Fuller objected to the practice of playing |
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a CD recording of "Taps" when a live bugler wasn't available, and so |
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he offered his services as a bugler to as many as 300 services a year |
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all over Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, He sometimes performed "Taps" in formation with |
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other members of VFW Post No. 4819, in all seasons and all weather, |
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and in recent years often found himself playing tearfully at the |
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funerals of longtime friends; he practiced his bugle every day, |
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often with the accompaniment of his terrier, Bo; each night before |
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bed he played his favorite song, Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," the |
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first song he ever learned on the trumpet; and |
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WHEREAS, Refusing to accept payment for his patriotic |
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tributes, Mr. Fuller performed an invaluable service for Texas |
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veterans, which earned him the heartfelt gratitude of grieving |
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family members and his fellow veterans; his dedication was |
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chronicled in newspaper articles, in Southern Living magazine, and |
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by the television program Texas Country Reporter; in keeping with |
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his unselfish devotion to remembering the fallen, "Taps" was |
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performed at Mr. Fuller's own funeral by his friend, Korean War |
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veteran William C. Hall; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the life of Hugh Bob Fuller, Sr., and offer |
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sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his daughter, |
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Mary Nell Dowd and her husband, Don; to his son, Hugh Bob Fuller, |
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Jr., and his wife, Terryca; to his sisters, Joan Hudson and her |
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husband, Gay, and Oma Nell Nemmer and her husband, Richard; to his |
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grandchildren, Hugh Bob Fuller III and his wife, Melissa, Justin |
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Millar Fuller, and Kacy Tillman and her husband, Andrew; to his |
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special friend, Joanna Fuller; and to his other relatives and |
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friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Hugh Bob |
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Fuller, Sr. |