Mr. Robert Lawrence Fulton

Robert L. Fulton, 88, of Oxford, Alabama was freed from the bonds of this earth into the arms of Jesus on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024. Visitation will be held at Saks Baptist Church, Wednesday, March 27th, 2024, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with Robert's Life Celebration beginning at 1:00 p.m. followed by a graveside at Forestlawn Gardens. Rev. David Harper and Rev. Daniel Harper will be officiating.

Robert was born to Joseph and Ruby Fulton on March 5th, 1936 in Trussville, AL. He grew up in Anniston, AL but worked and raised his family in Oxford, AL. Robert "Bobby" "Bob" "One Eye" is survived by his wife of 67 years, Gail Jones Fulton; two daughters; Tammy Bobo and Leigh Ann (Randy) Beshears; two sisters, Lindas Phillips and Fay New; four grandchildren, Autumn (Shane) Wallace, Allie (Jake) Goggans, Josh (Amanda) Beshears, Jessi (Scott) Duval; six great grands, Bronx Duval, Tessa Duval, Leighton Duval, Gwyn Beshears, Bo Briggs Goggans, and Baby Sutton Goggans, including many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Ruby Fulton; sisters, Jerry Harper and Mary Elizabeth Smith, and his brother Billy Wayne Fulton.

Those who will serve as pallbearers will be Josh Beshears, Bronx Duval, Scott Duval, Jake Goggans, Matthew Maniscalco, and Shane Wallace.

Those who will serve as honorary pallbearers will be his former teammates, Don Hudson, Bubba Walker, TK Miller, Jimmy Higgins, Wayne Welch, Jere Dingler, Jimmy Crossley, Paul Bright.

In lieu of flowers our family has chosen a park bench set up at the Oxford baseball fields in the memory of Bobby "One-Eye" Fulton. Use the venmo QR, https://venmo.com/u/leighannbeshears, if you would like to send donations in honor of Robert towards this beautiful memory.

As girls, Leigh and I grew up playing in the red dirt of a ball field. Our Daddy was the best player on the field, in the state, on this earth, and we were proud to be One Eye's girls. To say our Dad loved baseball would be an understatement. As a young man, Daddy played on several industrial league baseball teams and with Linen Thread he played in the World Series in Wichita, Kansas where he was scouted and offered by MLB Kansas City Athletics until their insurance company found out he only had one eye. When the Industrial Leagues played out, Daddy turned to fast pitch softball. Bama Beverage was where he met many of his life long friends and as he got older he played with both 45 and 55 Masters teams at the same time. When his playing career came to an end, he coached his grandson's baseball teams from T-ball to American Legion team. Daddy coached all his grandchildren from both inside the fence and outside the fence as a spectator. All four grands went to college on athletic scholarships. He was so very proud of them. He always got there early and put their chairs right behind the umpire and I can still hear him yell, "Hey Ump, I have forgotten more than you know about baseball or softball" depending on who he was watching. From player to coach, to yelling at his beloved Braves on TV, it was his passion. Daddy was inducted into the Calhoun County Baseball Hall of Fame in June 2016. We were one PROUD family!!!

Daddy attended Anniston High School and has told us and his grands he made straight A's-Absent, Absent, and Absent. So, when he wasn't going to be allowed to play baseball his Senior year, Daddy joined the army. He was stationed in Paris, France in 1953 and 1954 where he trained German Shepards and played baseball all over Europe. He loved to tell of the time he struck out Billy Martin, who would go on to the MLB. Daddy came home with an Honorable Discharge and went on to marry his wife of 67 years, Charlotte Gail Jones in February 1957. Together they raised a beautiful family. Daddy was saved in 1973. We attended Saks Baptist church every Sunday as a family. He loved Gospel music and Vestal Goodman was his favorite singer.

Daddy was awarded many job opportunities in the industry due to his pitching but would spend many years with both the Anniston Water Dept. and with the Oxford Water Dept. from which he retired in 2006. After retiring, he was appointed to the Oxford Water Board where he served until his death.

Daddy was an avid (rabid) fan of the University of Alabama football. Along with his beloved Braves, he expected wins at all times so frustration with his beloved teams was common. The day Daddy took his last breath, the TV in his room was blaring the Alabama vs. Georgia Baseball game. In between seasons, daddy loved traveling the U.S. with momma, deer hunting, fishing, billiards, and golf. Family celebrations usually consisted of corn hole and even into his late 80's he was a winner. Keeping the old man off the diving board was assigned to all of us at these celebrations. Leigh and I never stopped playing in the red dirt life we grew up doing. The generation of ball players, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren will continue the legacy of the love of the game taught to us from THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND, our daddy, Bobby "One Eye" Fulton.