Mary Louise Baumhoff Fuller

Mary Louise Baumhoff Fuller

AGE: 84 • Media, PA - Wilmington, DE

Mary Louise Baumhoff Fuller died Sunday, November 9th at Riddle Village in Media, Pennsylvania. She was 84. She and her dearly loved husband Frank were married 58 years until his death last June. Prior to Riddle Village, the Fullers made their home in Wilmington, Delaware, where they reared their three children.

Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mary Lou spent most of her childhood in Richmond, Virginia where she developed a soft southern accent and a gracious spirit. She attended the Collegiate School in Richmond and went on to study French and Art history at Hollins College, graduating in 1951. Her Hollins friends remained some of her dearest for her entire life, along with a tightly woven group of Wilmingtonians. Following college, she spent a treasured summer semester in Paris, where she lived with a French family and studied at the Sorbonne.

Mary Lou loved to entertain, and had a gift for amusing all ages. When reading a bedtime story to her children (and later to her grandchildren), she stayed marvelously in character. With adults she could fashion and tell a clever anecdote extracted from the most mundane of events. She had a twinkle in her eye, an ear for the telling detail and a knack for the bon mot that made her a delightful host and guest. She was most in her element when giving a beautiful dinner party and charming a wonderful group of funny, animated life-long friends.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, in Wilmington, was an integral part of her life, coming, as she did, from fourteen generations of Presbyterian ministers. She was proud of that heritage, and it was a great stabilizer in difficult times. She gave many long hours to charitable church activities, and was also active in The Junior League of Wilmington. Mary Lou was persistent in teaching her children the importance of doing things for others, frequently quoting from the Bible that from everyone to whom much has been given, much would be required. She lived her life by that rule in the constant preparation of meals for those in need, visits to the sick, and making batch after batch of her mother's recipe for fudge, each fragrant box delivered with her own special, southern "TLC."

She instilled in her children a love of classical music, taking them to Saturday afternoon Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsals in the days of conductor Eugene Ormandy. Ormandy frequently turned and spoke to the children in the audience, explaining the importance of different instruments or the art of conducting or the beauty of the music itself. She also instilled in her children a love of classical music, literature and poetry, taking delight in quoting long stanzas from the poems of William Wordsworth.

She was beloved by her family, and she will be dearly missed.

She is survived by two sons, Frank Hudson Fuller, Jr., (Meredeth), of Wayland, MA; Stuart Cordell Fuller, of San Rafael, CA; a daughter, Mary Woodbridge Fuller Bond (Martin), of Radnor, PA, and three grandchildren: Gage Fuller of Wayland, MA; Anne Bond of Radnor, PA, and Louise Bond of Willow Grove, PA.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian in January on a date to be determined. Details will follow closer to the time. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in memory of Mary Lou be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church (1502 W. 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806).

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