ST. JOSEPH - Marvin A. Fuller, 82, died peacefully at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph on April 27, 2009.

A Celebration of Life Service was held on June 27, at Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4340 Lincoln Ave., St. Joseph.

He was born June 16, 1926, in Ogden, Utah, to Thelma Foulger and Arthur L. Fuller. He grew up on a cattle ranch in the Eden Valley. From his youth, he was always interested in how things worked. When growing up it was tractors, more recently, it was computers.

Marv joined the Navy in 1944 and served on the USS Saratoga in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He continued to serve in the Navy while attending college. He went to Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. While at Antioch, he met Catherine Emily Nyquist. They married Aug. 1, 1948, at her parents' home in Millburn, N.J.

After working at Underwriters Labs in Chicago, Marv was hired by the Whirlpool Corporation as an engineer. In 1954, the family moved to the Twin Cities, where Marv resided for 55 years. After 18 years at Whirlpool, Marv bought Home Heating Inc. and had the business for 18 years before passing it on to his son, James. Marv then served as an engineering consultant for many years.

Community service was important throughout Marv's life. This included organizations and activities during his work life as well as in his retirement. He was a founding member of the Berrien Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 50 years ago. He was a lifelong Republican. For more than 30 years he was involved with the St. Joseph Lions, more recently with the Benton Harbor Police as a senior volunteer with Healing Racism and with veterans. Marv was engaged with the Lest We Forget-Veterans of Foreign Wars project, of which he was a co-founder in 2000. In the fall of 2007, he co-led a Lake Michigan College class on the history of WWII, a class that had the largest enrollment in LMC's history.

After his interests in engineering and technology (including teaching Heating and Cooling classes at LMC during the 80s), Marv was interested in history, including U.S. war history as well as Mormon history. His own family of origin includes pioneer ancestors. One was Marv's great-grandmother who made the migration to Salt Lake City with Brigham Young. He was proud of that successful group migration and honored his Mormon roots.

Marv is survived by his wife of 60 years, Catherine (Kate) Fuller, and their three children: Diane (Michael) Brown of Peoria, Ill., Bruce (Kathy) Fuller of Lynnwood, Wash., and Jim Fuller of Benton Harbor. He is survived by four siblings and some of their spouses: LouJean Millar in Pallyup, Wash., Elsie Fuller in Star, Idaho, Charles (Audrey) Fuller of Centerville, Utah, Ronald (Letha) Fuller of Salt Lake City, Utah, Jan (Kirk) Nielson of Salt Lake City, Utah. Also surviving are three grandsons, three stepgrandsons, one stepgranddaughter, and many nieces and nephews.

Marv was a man of many passions, giving and generous in spirit, who will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Donations may be given to Lest We Forget or the charity of the donor's choice. The Fuller family also requests that donations be made in Marv's name to Berrien UU Fellowship. The family is being served by the Dey-Florin Chapel of Florin Funeral Service, St. Joseph.

Herald-Palladium, Thursday, April 30, 2009 1:08 PM EDT