Frances Townsend Fulton

Frances Townsend Fulton

August 21, 1936 – June 27, 2026

A 56-year resident of Carmel

Fran was born on Mare Island Naval Base in Vallejo, California. As the child of a World War II Navy officer, she spent her childhood living and attending school in many cities on both the West and East Coasts. In 1954, Fran graduated from Fairhaven High School in Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, she met and married her husband, Roger Fulton.

Fran earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz and her master’s degree in biology from Northern Arizona University. She had a fulfilling and successful career as an educator, teaching anatomy and physiology, biology, and mathematics at Monterey High School and Monterey Peninsula College. Several of Fran’s students went on to pursue careers in healthcare and medicine, later returning to thank her for inspiring them.

Fran was an avid marine biologist. She completed studies at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, and some of her research was published. She enjoyed exploring the tidepools in Carmel and Monterey, as well as the estuary at Elkhorn Slough.

When the Monterey Bay Aquarium opened in 1984, Fran was among its first team of docents and went on to volunteer there faithfully for 40 years. She loved her time at the aquarium and was both happy and proud to be part of the organization for so long.

In 1962, Fran’s parents, Harry and Marian Townsend, were members of the original founding congregation of Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley. Fran was an active parishioner at Saint Dunstan’s and served on the altar guild for many years.

Fran was predeceased by her husband, Roger Fulton, to whom she was married for 66 years. She is survived by her two sisters, Shirley Grant and Sandra Miller, her daughter Sandra (John) Parke, her son Buz (Jill) Fulton, her three grandchildren Mireya Peña, Nolan Fulton, and Hogan Kitsuse, and one great-grandchild, Ave Peña.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Fran’s memory to the Monterey Bay Aquarium https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/