Donald C. Fulcer, age 88, passed away peacefully at Unity Hospice’s Jack and Engrid Meng Residence in DePere. He was born in Appleton on May 1, 1938, son of the late Warren and Selma (Lust) Fulcer, Jr. Don graduated from Appleton High School in 1956, and married the love of his life, Mary Livingston, on August 10, 1957. They shared more than sixty-seven beautiful years together. Mary passed away 14 months ago on March 5, 2025, and Don has missed her every single day since.

Don was honored to have served in the United States Army from 1956 until 1964. Basic training was accomplished at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, and Don was honorably discharged with the rank of First Sergeant, E-8. He served with the 395th Ordnance Company and had the coveted role of being a tank driver.

Over the years, Don was both the secretary and treasurer of his Appleton High School Class of 1956 committee. He maintained meticulous records of classmates' information. It was a joy for him to help plan reunions and reconnect with classmates! If you knew Don, you knew how he loved to talk, seemed to know people wherever he went, and always enjoyed conversations with others!

Don dedicated thirty-seven years of his career to Miller Electric in Appleton (now ITW) where he worked as a parts specialist and warehouse technician before retiring in 1997 as the Parts and Service Manager. Don’s brother Jack recently shared, “Don could remember many things, but he especially knew all the Miller part numbers. He could store things in his computer brain. He was a walking dictionary of Miller part numbers.” Don’s knowledge was a tremendous asset to Miller Electric and he greatly enjoyed working for the company.

His parents owned a cottage on Anderson Lake for many years. The cottage and the countless family memories that were created there were a huge source of happiness for Don. Boating, fishing, water-skiing and swimming were only the beginning of the adventures that went on up at the lake! One favorite memory of being at the cottage was the simple tradition of writing your name on a Styrofoam cup and making sure you kept track of it all day so it could be refilled again and again with lemonade!

Don was an avid sports fan and volunteered as the basketball coach and Athletic Director at St. Thomas More Catholic School for many years. During that time he was instrumental in organizing both the Catholic Boys Basketball League as well as the Catholic Girls Basketball League. Countless hours were dedicated at St. Thomas More. He was the person to call for building maintenance, boiler emergencies, painting, lawn care, and repairing whatever needed to be repaired. He took special pride in the “curb appeal” of the entire campus. He volunteered annually for the parish picnic. Don was also a well respected member of the Knights of Columbus Council #607.

Don had a rare gift for making things work again. We often joked that his basement was like a miniature hardware store — if you needed a tool, chances were he already had it. He loaned tools to family, friends, and neighbors, always ready to help whenever someone was in need. There seemed to be nothing he couldn’t repair. We were blessed by the many ways he helped those around him.

In his retirement, Don worked for a few years as a Security Guard at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Some of his warmest retirement memories came from the years that he and Mary were volunteers (you know, with the white shirt and maroon vests) at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Not only did Don greatly enjoy his interactions with the patrons, he loved interacting with the team of volunteers.

Don and Mary enjoyed many years of spending the cold winter months in Myrtle Beach. They made lasting friendships while there. He loved going to the Carolina Opry shows where they enjoyed not only the singing, but chatting with the performers after the show. Breakfast with friends at The Golden Griddle and walking the beach searching for shells were other meaningful activities. In addition to Myrtle Beach, Don and Mary had fond memories of their time at the Crystal River Inn in Rural, Wisconsin. The Waupaca area held a special place in their hearts for planning family gatherings, riding the Chief Waupaca, walking the covered bridge and watching and visiting with younger folks canoeing the river.

Don is survived by his four children: Jim (Dawn) Fulcer, Patty (Pat) Hennessey, John (Joan) Fulcer, and Sarah (Kevin) Klein. His grandchildren are: Lindsay (Eric) Ropella, Brady (Becca) Fulcer, Kelly (Bill) Davies, Nick (Amelia) Fischer, Josh (Aimee) Fischer, Brian (Bethany) Fischer, Kevin (Kara) Fulcer, Stephanie Fulcer (Robert Graupner), and Kyle Klein; great-grandchildren are: Jay and Tori Davies; Davis and Avia Ropella; Vincent Schmidt; Juliet Fischer; Claire Fulcer; Daisy and Rose Fulcer.

His surviving siblings are: Nancy Dean, Jack (Darlene) Fulcer, Bill (Christine) Fulcer, Ben (Cheryl) Fulcer and surviving sister-in-law, Anne-Grethe Livingston.

He was met in Heaven by his parents, Warren and Selma (Lust) Fulcer; infant sister Jeanette Fulcer, brother Kurt Fulcer and in-laws: Leo and Geraldine Livingston, brothers-in-law Leo J. Livingston, Robert Livingston, Ted Livingston, and Karl Dean; sister-in-law Janet (Glenn) Kelly; two sons-in-law Paul Weber and Jason Fischer; infant granddaughter Danielle Fischer; nephew Brian Dean; nieces Karen Dean and Lisa Berge.

The memorial funeral liturgy for Don will take place at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, located at 1810 N. McDonald Street in Appleton, with Fr. Larry Seidl officiating. Visitation will take place on Wednesday at the church from 9:30 AM until the time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are welcome.

The family wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to the staff of Unity Hospice who cared for Don this past year. We especially thank the staff of the Jack and Engrid Meng Residence where Don resided since January 2026. He treasured his relationships with all of the staff. Thank you for your care, compassion and connection with Don and our entire family. Also, our deepest thanks to some special friends and neighbors who were always there for both mom and dad. They lived in the greatest neighborhood for 60 years. Thank you Matt, Annette, Nancy, Jim and Beth!

“Love has no age, no limit; and no death.”                  -John Galsworthy