Richard Nelson Fuller
February 25, 1950 – November 22, 2016
Richard (“Dick”) Fuller passed away peacefully at sunrise on the morning of November 22nd, surrounded by his loving wife, Cathy, his daughter, Shannon, and his sister, Sue. Touching the lives of many, he will be remembered for his kindness, intellect, sense of humor, and overall enthusiasm for people as well as his myriad hobbies.
He is survived by his wife, Cathy Fuller (née Hiegel); his daughter, Shannon Fuller; his step-children Andrew Cento (Kristin), Mark Cento, and Emily Mitchell; his sister, Susan Joki (Robert). He is preceded in death by his parents, Ellen (née Lautzenhiser) and Maurice, and his sister, Cynthia.
Richard grew up in Southern California. Enamored by all things with wheels since an early age, he ended up racing motorcycles professionally as a young adult. He began racing in the U.S. and eventually achieved such high rankings that he raced the European circuit during the late 1970s. Many of his racing buddies know him by his racing number, 38. He was very proud of his unrestricted international racing license (IRL), which was difficult to obtain and allowed him to race on any course. In addition to riding motorcycles, he also enjoyed flying small planes and worked as a flight instructor with Channel Islands Aviation in California.
His professional endeavors often combined his passion for mechanics with his talents for business and communication. He earned his degree in Business Administration and Marketing at California State University, Northridge. Some of his early experiences included working as a test engineer at a motorcycle business and serving as Director of Marketing and Repair at a Cessna airplane dealership. His work with Everest & Jennings, a wheelchair manufacturing company, brought him to Chesterfield, Missouri in the early 1990s with Denise, his first wife, and Shannon.
After serving as Director of Certified Repair Centers with MED Group, in 2009 he forged his own consulting business for providers of CRT (Complex Rehab Technology) and HME (Home Medical Equipment). He has conducted numerous training seminars and courses for both technicians and health care providers in his field. One of his recent projects involved the creation of a tool called Labor Tracker, which is rapidly emerging as the industry standard for consistent, accurate billing for CRT and HME repairs. Richard was instrumental in getting bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for legislation to carve out complex rehab medical equipment as separate reimbursement category under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Richard and Cathy married in 2012 at their new home in Labadie, a small, vibrant town about an hour outside the city of St. Louis, Missouri. The couple met and began dating in 2005, but decided to postpone marriage until their children were grown. Both Cathy and Richard had been single parents for a long time, and were deeply devoted to their children. After settling in Labadie, they became involved in a number of organizations, including the Labadie Environmental Organization (LEO) and the Labadie Community Association.
In his spare time, Richard enjoyed collecting model trains, telling stories, driving and maintaining historic vehicles, playing Scrabble, and being outdoors. Richard especially enjoyed sharing his love of the mountains with his friends and family. He grew up traveling to the Eastern Sierras, and in 2013, he led the family on a hike in Yosemite to the top of Half Dome, a 16-mile trek with a 4,800-feet elevation gain. For both Emily and Shannon, he created personalized scrapbooks of the trip, replete with maps and witty captions. He was also an avid cyclist and runner, completing half marathons, a full marathon, and distance bike rides.
Richard was generous with his kindness and compassion for people. He frequently volunteered his time to help others, and served as an Elder and on the Mission Committee at St. Mark Presbyterian Church. From 2005-2008 he was involved in the Nicaragua Community Partnership, where he traveled to Nicaragua on delegations each summer to help with a high school scholarship program and other development projects in the community of Plan Grade Dos. Those in the community as well as other members of the delegation adored him. A friend from the delegation noted, “All the times in Nicaragua, he was in his element – playful and curious, a boundless joy, but also protective of us. I looked to him for a laugh and for guidance.” He was sought out for his wisdom and sense of humor not only in his work with the Nicaragua Community Partnership, but also in all aspects of his life.
A memorial gathering for Richard will be held Friday, December 16th from 4-8pm at the Schrader Funeral Home (14960 Manchester Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011).
A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 17th at 2pm at St. Mark Presbyterian Church (601 Claymont Dr, Ballwin, MO 63011). Preceding the service will be a short visitation at the church at 1:30pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Labadie Community Association or to the Siteman Cancer Center.
Labadie Community Association, c/o Butch Rogers, PO Box 124, Labadie, MO 63055
Siteman Cancer Center, CB 1204, 7425 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105 https://gifts.wustl.edu/siteman/index.html?0_d_tr1=61&0_d_tr2=289&sc=SM Among the options for Siteman Cancer donations, we recommend donating to the Annual Fund, which supports patients, caregivers, and research efforts.
For an online guestbook and directions for the services, please see www.schrader.com.