Donald Paul Fuselier

A 7th generation Californian, Don was born in Fresno, California before moving and growing up in Hayward. After stints in the Army and National Guard, he began a career in banking in downtown Oakland, but in 1972 he was encouraged by his buddy Bill Kelly to come down and apply to be a police officer for the City of Carmel. He never looked back and remained with the Carmel Police Department for the next 29 years, rising through the ranks from Officer to Chief, retiring in 2001. During his career, and largely as a single parent, he enrolled in college and obtained his Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1986. He was passionate about teaching in police academies and did so for over 35 years throughout the State of California, helping guide young cadets into a job that he truly believed was a career of service to others.

After retiring from the Carmel Police Department, Donald felt called to the Ministry and always said the two jobs were very similar. The same big-hearted humanity guided and inspired him in both careers. He obtained a second Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and was ordained as a Deacon in the Episcopal Church in 1996. He served the Diocese of El Camino Real as the Deacon at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley and as the Vicar of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in King City, and both congregations loved how his down-to-earth sermons explained the lessons of the Gospel through real-life accounts of saints and sinners he knew.

Outside his parish work, his real calling was to jail and hospital ministries. He served on many boards and committees, including the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, Victim/Offender Reconciliation Program, Restorative Justice Commission, Monterey County Jail Ministry Program, was Coordinating Chaplain for the Monterey County Juvenile Hall and was a volunteer chaplain at CHOMP.

Over the years, he had many titles and received countless accolades, honors and certificates, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service, but his favorite role was that of Papa to his beloved grandsons. He is survived by his wife Margo; son Paul; stepson Brooks; daughter-in- law Deanna; grandsons Calvin and Oliver, stepdaughter Melissa; his silly but extremely lovable dog Whoozit, and his horse Mikka who hauled him around the mountains of Carmel Valley and Plumas County without complaint for many years. Don is also survived by an army of close friends.

Don was a man of many varied interests and passions. He was a gifted storyteller. He was a talented illustrator/cartoonist. He loved to laugh with friends and family while enjoying plenty of good food and drink, with a special fondness for anything that tasted of New Orleans and a certain smoky Scotch. He was an avid student of history, especially the Civil War, with a particular specialty in Civil War Medicine. He loved giving tours of the doctor’s surgery he set up in his cottage to explain the crude medical equipment of the era that he painstakingly collected. He loved traveling to Civil War Battlefields so he could feel the history come alive, he was an active member of several Civil War Reenactment Organizations, and he generously appeared at schools and before civic groups in full uniform as Union Colonel Isaiah Turner to give "first-hand" accounts of one soldier's Civil War experience. After one of Don's commanding and convincing appearances as Colonel Turner, a student asked his teacher, "Just how old was that guy, anyway?"

Don was truly a kind, sweet, funny, humble, generous, impulsive, sentimental, soft-hearted, mischievous and loving man who truly never carried a grudge against anyone. We could all learn a lesson from how he lived his life.

A memorial service will be held on June 30th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley. In lieu of flowers, it was Donald’s wish that donations be made to the donor’s favorite charity.