Daniel Michael Fullam

Daniel, known to most as Danny, was born on November 16, 1958, in the Bronx, NY to his beloved parents, William and Patricia Fullam. He was the second oldest of six children: his brothers, William, Joseph, and Terrence, and his sisters, Patricia and Noreen. He was raised in the Bronx until the family moved to Closter, NJ in 1975.

As a teen, Danny was known for his 1969 Nova that he built in his driveway with the help of his brother, Joseph, and their friend, Ziggy. At the age of 17, Danny met the love of his life, Stella, and their young love led to 42 years of marriage which began on July 11, 1981. They raised three boys, Daniel, Anthony, and Ryan, in their home in Emerson. The house was bursting at the seams with the energy of their three sons, and countless hours were spent in the backyard throwing the baseball or swimming in the pool. Danny coached his sons in many town sports and always pushed them to work hard.

Danny was no stranger to hard work and doing whatever was necessary to provide for his family. He worked for Miele Sanitation Department in Closter until he started on the road to building his family business, owning and operating various gas stations over the years. His first endeavor was a partnership in a Sunoco with his brother-in-law, Giacomo, in 1981. In 1993, he moved on to partner with his brother Joseph, this time with Exxon stations; at one time, they operated six in various locations throughout northern NJ. Danny went on to run the business on his own beginning in 2008 eventually partnering with his oldest son, Daniel.

Danny loved the beach, and he enjoyed many summers in the family’s beach homes in Long Beach Island and more recently in Lavallette. No matter the water’s temperature, he could always be found taking a dip in the ocean or putting on his wetsuit, attempting to catch a wave; whether he was successful or not as a surfer was in the eye of the beholder.

Danny took pride in his home. He followed his family dogs around with the vacuum, and any visitors were likely to slip on the shiny yet slippery wood floors that had recently been met with the Swiffer. If your shoes were still on as you entered past the front door, you were sure to get a stare. He mowed his always thickly grown lawn, repainted his decks and porches, and resealed his driveway regularly. If he could get the job done, he did it, and if he couldn’t, often breaking things along the way, he’d call for back up through his incredibly handy wife or one of his sons.

What he was most known for was the wildly bright, colorful, and eye-catching Christmas decorations that grew to be known to the neighbors and many in Bergen County. As soon as Halloween was over, come November 1, the blow molds were being removed from the shed, endless strands of lights were being untangled and tested, and Santa and his reindeer were being hoisted high up into the air. Every surface of the lawn was covered with figures, every bush was strung, and every peak shined brightly with lights. Classic Christmas tunes blared from the speaker on the front porch, and cars slowly drove by night after night to see his whimsical holiday home. Despite the amount of time and energy it took, often in frigid temperatures, he was so proud to get his display lit for all to see and enjoy.

Danny was the king of tough love, and he would tell you exactly how it was…or how HE believed it to be. Any disagreement with him was likely to never end as he did not budge easily. Yet underneath that tough exterior was always love, and it was much easier to crack through than he liked to admit. He will be greatly missed by all.

Daniel is survived by: His siblings: William Fullam and his wife Maria of Avon Park, Florida; his brother Joseph Fullam and his wife Christina of Ramsey, NJ; his brother Terrence and his wife Dorothy of Hamburg, NJ; his sister Patricia Fullam of Closter, NJ, and his sister Noreen Rathgeber of Demarest, NJ. His children: Daniel and his wife Megan of River Vale, NJ; Anthony and his wife Alison of River Vale, NJ, and Ryan of Emerson, NJ. His four grandchildren: Landon, Cole, Waverly, and Winona. He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Danny is predeceased by his wife, Stella Fullam, his father, William Fullam, and his mother, Patricia Fullam.

The family will receive guests for a memorial visitation at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Rd., Westwood, NJ on March 27 from 4-8 pm with a celebration of life at 6:30 p.m.