Lawrence Joseph Fuller

1949 - 2014

Lawrence (“Larry”) Joseph Fuller of Columbia, MO died unexpectedly on Saturday, August 9, 2014 in Paris, France from a heart attack.

Visitation will be held at Memorial Funeral Home in Columbia, Missouri on Friday, August 22, 2014 from 5 – 8 pm. The rosary will be said at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Columbia, Missouri at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 23 followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. A private burial will be held in Kansas City at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the “University of Missouri” specifying the Larry Fuller Memorial Scholarship Fund – Personal Financial Planning Department of the University of Missouri School of Human Environmental Sciences.

Larry is survived by wife Christine, son Bryan (Jennifer) of Kansas City, MO granddaughters, Jordan and Kathryn; brother Daniel (Judy) of St. Paul, MN; and mother-in-law Theresa Sparks of Overland Park, KS. Preceding Larry in death were his mother Rosemary, father Daniel, and infant grandson Alexander Jude Fuller.

Larry was born on October 4, 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Daniel Rolfe Fuller and Rosemary Irene Cormier Fuller. He moved to Independence, Missouri in 1954 and graduated from De La Salle High School in Kansas City, Missouri in 1967 where he was active in the National Honors Society, journalism and was President of the Pep Squad. He received a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1971. He was a member of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and formed lifelong friendships with his many “brothers”. He also attained numerous industry designations relating to life insurance and financial planning.

He married Christine Yvonne Sparks on February 7, 1970, at the Newman Center in Columbia, Missouri. Aside from 6 years that they enjoyed in Lincoln, NE in the 1970’s, Larry and Christine called the Show-Me State home living in Kansas City and Columbia, Missouri. His formal work career spanned 40+ years with Shelter Insurance Companies where he worked in various sales and management roles mostly related to marketing of life insurance products. He trained and assisted thousands of new insurance agents as he believed in the societal good that insurance provides. He truly found a second home among his many colleagues at Shelter.

Larry was a continuously aspiring golfer, fisherman and avid sports fanatic for the MU Tigers, Royals, Chiefs and later on the St. Louis Cardinals. His sharp wit and sense of humor could always be counted on, and his natural curiosity and adventurous soul were inspiring. Larry and Christine traveled extensively across the U.S. and internationally. He also especially enjoyed his “every five-year” trip to Munich, Germany for the Oktoberfest.

In 2008, Larry was the honored recipient of the Tiger Pride Award, an annual award that recognizes sustained, outstanding volunteer efforts on behalf of the Mizzou Alumni Association. Larry served on numerous local and national boards relating to the University of Missouri. He also served as the President of the Mid-Missouri Estate Planning Council and the Mid-Missouri National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Larry was quite the sailor although not in the traditional sense; he was a proud member of the Perche Creek Yacht Club based in Midway, Missouri. In 2009, Larry received the distinguished honor of becoming the ExtraOrdinary Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Yacht Club. He never met a stranger. His joy in living life to the fullest will be long remembered.