Richard Fuller, 74, died March 16, 2006 at Whidbey General Hospital, Coupeville. He was born March 18, 1931 in Sacramento, Calif., to Richard T. Duggar II and Emma Rachel (Baughman) Duggar.

Richard spent his early years in Montana, attending school in Columbia Falls, and obtaining his G.E.D. He was a veteran of World War II. At the age of 14, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served four months active duty. When the Army discovered his real age, he was honorably discharged in April of 1947.

Richard returned to civilian life and continued his education, enrolling at North Montana College in Havre. With the start of the Korean War, he returned to active military duty, this time serving with the U. S. Marine Corps. He enlisted in May of 1951 and served for three years. Richard was married to the former Ellen Rose Deerwester in Lodi, Calif., on Nov. 14, 1953. He was again honorably discharged on May 16, 1954.

Richard again began his life outside the military. He and Ellen moved to Milwaukee, Wis. He returned to college for a short time to complete some missing credits and then began a career in finance, working primarily in sales and collections for a variety of companies. He moved his family to Ripon, Kimberly, Oshkosh and finally to Appleton, Wis.

Richard moved to Novato, Calif., where he worked for a wholesale food distributor and then moved on to Rohnert Park, Calif., working in sales at radio station KTOB in Petaluma. Richard and Ellen were hired to work for the Sprouse-Reitz chain of stores, training in Sebastopol, then managing stores in San Anselmo, Petaluma, and Benicia, Calif. While working for Sprouse-Reitz, he returned to school, at the University of California at Davis, attending night classes and receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in Behavioral Science.

In 1977, Richard accepted a transfer to the Sprouse Reitz store in Bellingham. He and Ellen made Oak Harbor their permanent home. He commuted to Bellingham each day and also returned to college, attending classes at Western Washington University.

Richard retired from Sprouse Reitz in 1978 and when he received his Washington State teaching credentials, began serving as a substitute teacher in the Oak Harbor School District. He taught for eight years. He also began working at NAS Whidbey Island for the Navy Exchange in security and as a courier. He spent many years with the Exchange, retiring in 1995.

Richard and Ellen spent much of their retirement traveling. He enjoyed bridge, working in his yard, birds and animals of all kinds, doing research, reading and had a passion for history. He loved being a teacher, both in the class and in life and sharing his knowledge with others.

Richard is survived by Ellen, his wife of 53 years, at the family home, Oak Harbor; by two daughters and their spouses, Lyn M. Grant and husband James of Baker City, Ore., and Lori E. Newman and husband Steven of Redmond, Wash.; and by three grandchildren, Chelsea Rose Newman of Oak Harbor, Franklin Harold Grant of Pendleton, Ore., and Chad Steven Newman of Redmond. Numerous cousins, nieces and nephews also survive. His parents and one sister preceded him in death.

Funeral services for Richard Fuller were held March 21 at Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Oak Harbor Senior Center.