January 19, 1930 - July 11, 2023
With love and respect, we announce the peaceful passing of
Lorne Fuller.
Lorne was born near Indus, AB, to parents Bob (Robert) and
Annie Fuller on January 19, 1930. His parents could not make it to
town that night because of a blizzard, so Lorne was born in his family
home on the same property where he would go on to raise his own
family. His kids later knew his childhood home where he was born as
their car garage.
At 16, Lorne drove his 1922 Ford Model T coupe to the one-room
Springland school for the last time, announcing that he knew
more than the teacher. He then worked on the family farm for a
while before heading south to help build the St. Mary Reservoir at
Spring Coulee, AB. When that was less fun than farming, he returned
home to resume his farming career with his dad.
Lorne met his wife Mildred through mutual friends and they married in
1951. They had two girls Pat (Jim) Jorawsky and Donna Fuller (Steve
Sorrenti). Lorne and Mille farmed with Pat and Jim until 1989 when
they sold their land and moved to the Longview area to ranch.
He was sadly predeceased by Millie in 2020 and his three siblings and
their spouses, Don Stewart (Margaret) Stan Fuller (Joyce), and Hazel
Wells.
Lorne was a great member of Indus and the surrounding communities.
He was part of the committee that helped repurpose the Bill Herron
Arena and move it to Indus to become the first indoor arena for the
area. He enjoyed curling and would haul water from Calgary to the
Indus curling rink cistern for the ice-making.
Lorne was also a dedicated member of the Masonic Lodge, originally
in Strathmore, before transferring to Cornerstone Lodge No.19
in High River. In 2022 he was awarded the 50-year Jewel and
60-year Bar. He was also a member of the Southern Alberta Pioneer
Association and Southern Alberta Pioneer Auto Club.
His other community service included being an ‘Uncle at Large’
mentoring two separate boys in the 70’s as well as serving on
committees for the Friends of the Bar U Ranch NHS, Little New
York Days, Longview Rodeo and Longview Campground. He
volunteered for the Longview Fire Department and spent many hours
rope-making for the kids at Aggie Days, Bar U special events and for
the Calgary Stampede education program at the OH Ranch. He was
also beloved by the local kids in Longview, serving as their go-to bike
repair shop, toymaker, and car mechanic as they got older.
Lorne had a passion for antiques and restored seven Fords in his
lifetime, from a 1913 Model T to a 1961 Unibody truck. He would
travel as far as Portland to pick up parts from swap meets. His iconic
cars made frequent appearances at Indus Days, Little New York Days
Parade, family weddings, and even a few movies.
Lorne and Mille enjoyed camping and even did a couple of caravans
across Mexico. They also took trips to Hawaii, Fiji, Australia, New
Zealand, and of course Disneyland with the girls. When Millie could
not travel as far, Lorne took Pat and Donna on two big trips. First,
Kenya and Egypt, and a few years later, China. He was a huge Calgary
Stampeders football fan and had season tickets for many years.
Lorne was an avid reciter of cowboy poetry and would spin tales at
many local events. Always musical, Lorne could also often be found
with a musical instrument in hand. He loved to play the banjo the most
but also enjoyed the mandolin, guitar, piano, harmonica, accordion,
and even had an autoharp. Lorne is also remembered as a member of
the musical group The Highwood Hillbillies, who entertained seniors
for 25 years at the Rising Sun Long Term Care in Black Diamond, the
very place he spent his final days.
He is survived by his two daughters, four grandchildren,
Dawn (Sean) Farrell, Dusty (Kim) Jorawsky, Austin Campbell,
Phoebe Fuller, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces
and nephews.
The family would like to thank Dr. Noel Grisdale and the staff at
Rising Sun Long Term Care and Snodgrass Funeral Homes for
their care. There will be a celebration of life in late September.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to one of his favorite Longview
volunteer groups, Little New York Days, Box 479, Longview, T0L 1H0.
