Mary C. Fuller

Born in Washington, DC, Mary grew up in Queens, New York City. She attended a small Catholic school on 42nd St in Manhattan and rode the subway by herself every day from 1st grade onward. An only child of a widowed mother, Mary grew up independent and capable.

Mary went to work as an operator for New York Telephone (now Verizon) while getting her college degree at night from Fordham University. Fordham was then a men's school, but allowed women to attend nights. She delighted in people’s surprise that she had a degree from a men's university. Mary proudly kept her Verizon/AT&T stock her entire life. She decided that the neighborhood boy, Charles Fuller, was special. They wrote long love letters during Charles’ duty as a pilot in World War II and subsequent service in Japan, and married a few years after his return to the States.

In 1956, Mary and Charles and their growing family of Jeanne (Spellman), John, and Pat (Churchill) moved to her beloved home on Cape Cod where she could watch the changing seasons looking out over the salt marsh and bay as she washed dishes. She loved to entertain, and people loved to visit. Charles would make pitchers of Manhattans and cocktails were always served at 5:00. Mary loved to waterski and taught dozens of people to enjoy the sport. She and Charles built and bought motorboats, sailboats, and rowboats. Summers on Cape Cod were shared with friends and family.

Mary went to Bridgewater State College at night to get her teaching certification. As soon as Pat went to school, Mary went back to work as a teacher. Her favorite students were always the troublemakers. She poured her passion and love into her students. In 1985 she became the first woman principal in the Town of Bourne. She led the team at Stone School then her beloved Lyle School, bringing her creativity, fun, and teamwork to her students and teachers.

Mary liked to keep busy and three children and a full time job wasn’t enough, so she started volunteering in her parish and community. She matched her activity with her children’s ages and became a Girl Scout troop leader, teaching her troop how to march proudly in formation in parades. By the 1960s, she was running training programs and seminars for parish CCD teachers. Vatican II and the modernization of the Catholic Church became her passion.

She helped create a teenage retreat program called ECHO (Encountering Christ in Others) in the Fall River Diocese and was determined to bring it to Cape Cod. Whatever Mary was determined to do happened. She threw her heart and soul into ECHO of Cape Cod forming lifelong friendships with clergy, adults, and teens who grew into adults. 57 years later, over 15,000 people have experienced an ECHO weekend. The program is still running, changing the lives of teens and the adults who lead the weekends. Teens loved Mary and she loved them. “Mother ECHO,” as Mary became known, famously made grilled cheese sandwiches with mustard in large batches on her Foreman grill on every Good Friday following a fundraising walk on the Cape Cod Canal. These memories, and many more, will live on in the ECHO community for years to come.

In an age of growing technology, Mary felt strongly that hand written notes were important. She spent hours writing thank you notes to those supporting ECHO, the Bourne Student Memorial Garden that she helped found upon her retirement, or any of the other initiatives she was involved in. Her Palanca notes on ECHO weekends were famous and are saved and cherished by countless retreat participants. Never one to soften a message, Mary told it like it was and always got her message across in her notes. “Kill them with kindness,” she would say, and then get to the important stuff.

Mary retired from teaching when the Otis Air Force Base schools closed and after her daughter Jeanne threw a surprise 70th birthday party for her. Notoriously secretive about her age, Mary was actually 69 at the time. She took to retirement with her usual energy. In addition to starting the student memorial garden, she volunteered with the Council on Aging and on the Bourne Scholarship Committee.

Mary was determined to die at home, and what she wanted happened. As she entered her late 90’s, she enjoyed reading the paper, chatting with aides, visiting with her caretaker and neighbor Kevin Lindsay, and watching YouTube videos of her old neighborhood in Forest Hills, NY. She shared many years ago that triple digits scared her, and she was going to pass when she was 97. She kept her word and did so peacefully at home as she wished.

Mary is survived by her three children: Jeanne (Tim), John (Maureen), and Pat (Kevin) as well as six grandchildren: Sarah (Vijay), Katy (Tom), Matthew (Kristen), Kelsey (Colton), Jake (Emily), Mike (Ana) and four great-grandchildren: Grayson, Sloane, Graham, and Daniel.

Visiting hours will be on October 5th from 5-7pm at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home at 40 MacArthur Boulevard, Bourne, MA. Services will be held at St. John the Evangelist Church on Shore Road, Pocasset, MA on October 6th at 10:00 with burial at the National Cemetery to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to ECHO of Cape Cod: www.echoofcapecod.org