Simeon Bell "Sim" Fulcher

1936 - 2023

On Sunday, April 2, 2023, Simeon (Sim) Bell Fulcher, surrounded by his loving family, went Home to be with his Savior, Lord, and friend. He was born on January 8, 1936, in Augusta, Georgia as the second of two children born to Mary Bell Fulcher and William Marcus Fulcher Jr. His older brother William Marcus Fulcher III preceded him in death.

Sim graduated from the Academy of Richmond County (ARC) High School in 1954. He attended Darlington Prep School (Rome, GA.) in 1955-56 and then Georgia Tech on a Football Scholarship in 1956-61. He graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree and was in the ROTC Program taking him to Fort Bliss Texas in Air Defense Artillery -1961 as 2nd Lieutenant. After a short stint in the army he entered seminary the same year. Sim graduated with a Masters of Divinity Degree in 1964 from Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He and Maryann (Mimi) Volpitto Fulcher were married Tuesday, June 10, 1958.

Sim is survived by their children: Mary Elizabeth "Betsy" Fulcher Laboe (Kevin), Katherine Fulcher Pugh (Hunter), and Dr. Simeon Marcus "Mark" Fulcher (Lynn). Sim is also survived by nine grandchildren, Benjamin Hunter Pugh (Courtney), Elizabeth Anne Pugh, and Sarah Pugh Wilson (Will), Maryann Laboe, Daniel Kevin Laboe, Joshua Marcus Fulcher, Katherine Bell Fulcher, Perry Elizabeth Fulcher, and Lucy Claire Fulcher; great grandchildren: Adeline Hunter Pugh and Lucy Wynn Pugh. (And their Cocker Spaniel, Mala.)

Sim and Mimi moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with 2 daughters, Betsy and Katherine in 1964 to begin Sim's first job, at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church as the first associate minister under Dr. James Kennedy as a Youth Minister. Their son, Mark was born in 1966 in Ft. Lauderdale. Sim spent 11 years at Coral Ridge Church, watching it grow from a small congregation to thousands of members.

In 1975 Sim relocated to Louisville, Kentucky to become minister of Christian Growth at Calvin Presbyterian Church, where the family enjoyed 25 years of ministry. While at Calvin Church, Sim began his doctorate program, receiving his Doctorate of Ministry in 2004 from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

While in Louisville, in 2000, Sim received a call from First Presbyterian Church in Honolulu to serve as head of Christian Growth. Sim and Mimi enjoyed 15 wonderful years in Hawaii before Sim's retirement in 2015.

Sim and Mimi met in 1956, through Young Life in Augusta, where they both came to faith in Jesus Christ. Through their marriage experiences and Sim's experience in ministry with couples they developed a course in marriage, culminating in a book they wrote together and published in 2019 titled, "Door to a Lasting Marriage". This book is about their trials and triumphs in hopes that many are helped and encouraged. The book prompted Sim to write a blog and it has continued to encourage and strengthen marriages.

Upon retirement in 2015 and they moved back to Augusta after 60 years away, Sim and Mimi have enjoyed reconnecting with family and friends. He has enjoyed painting, writing blogs, working out at the YMCA, church and visits from family and friends. His most important job was to be a good husband, father and grand-father. His greatest pleasure was talking to others about Astronomy, relating something he had just read, his relationship with God, telling stories about the past, and giving treats to his cocker-spaniel, Mala.

" It was that time Young Life came to Augusta and through its ministry my all-consuming quest was satisfied. In words clear and understandable I was brought to see for myself from the Bible that the simple (yet difficult) act of opening the door of my life -my heart- to the persistent knock of Jesus Christ was the answer to my deepest need: The need to know that the God who made me and given me the wonderful gift of life-but who seemed unapproachable- would not only accept me as I was-unconditionally-but would make me a part of His family forever."

The celebration of Sim's life will be held on Tuesday, April 11, at 1 PM at First Presbyterian Church Augusta. Visitation will be at the church at 12 PM prior to the ceremony. The interment will follow at Westover Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Young Life Augusta, 2249-B Walton Way, Augusta, GA. 30904. (https://augusta.younglife.org/)

There will also be live streaming of the Funeral at First Presbyterian Church website and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ1VwdqlxuDI_j80yBHxU8A