Albert L. Fullerton Jr.

[ Originally published on: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 ]

BERNARDSTON -- Albert L. Fullerton Jr., 88, Bernardston, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, in Greenfield.

Albert ''Al'' was born in Boston on Aug. 25, 1921, the son of Albert Louis Fullerton (b. Pictou, N.S., Canada) and Marjorie [Durling] Fullerton (b. Wadsworth, Ohio).

Al grew up in Roslindale and graduated from the Roxbury Latin School, Class of 1939. He enrolled in Harvard University, Class of 1944, where he majored in English.

During WWII, Al enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-1946) where he served in both the Pacific and European theatres, specializing in radar.

On Dec. 27, 1944, Sgt. Al Fullerton married Mary Siteman at Saint Chryostom's Church in Wollaston.

During the war, Al attended the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, (1945-1946) and after the war graduated with a BA in physics from Harvard University. In 1947, he and his wife, Mary, moved to Boulder, Colo., where they started a family and where Al enrolled at the University of Colorado, earning a MA in electrical engineering in 1952.

In 1953, Al and Mary moved to Lincoln. Al went to work at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory developing the first computerized air defense system (using the Whirlwind computer). He continued work in the defense industry, working successively for Melpar, Sylvania, the Institute of Naval Studies, Sanders Assoc., and lastly MITRE Corp. from which he retired in 1986.

In Lincoln, Al and Mary raised four boys. Al was a deacon of the First Parish Church, library trustee, and Scoutmaster of Troop 127. Al helped found the METCO program and hosted a student from Roxbury. Al and family also hosted exchange students, from India, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Mexico.

Al had a lifelong love of books and history. In ''retirement'', Al and Mary moved to Bernardston, where in 1987 they opened an Antiquarian bookstore, Bernardston Books. Al also composed and published genealogies of the Siteman, Cook and Greig branches of the family and edited and republished ''Voyages and Travels Through the Russian Empire, Tartary, and Part of the Kingdom of Persia'' (1770) written by John Cook, M.D., an ancestor of Al's wife, Mary.

Al is survived by his wife Mary; sons: Albert, George, and Lincoln; grandchildren, David Fullerton, Michael Fullerton, Carrie Finke, Erika Connors, Caleb Fullerton, Sarah Silbert, Laura Tozzi, Adam Fullerton, and six great-grandchildren.

Al was pre-deceased by his son, Gilbert.

A memorial service will be held in the United Church of Christ in Bernardston on Saturday, Oct. 24, at noon, followed by a reception in the church hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Roxbury Latin School, 101 Saint Theresa Ave, West Roxbury, MA 02132, or to the United Church of Christ, Bernardston, MA 01337.

 

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