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Obituaries
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020 Shelton-Mason County Journal Page A-37
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On September 28, 2020, Carol left us followin
long life exemplified by loving kindness and compas-
sion, intellect and professional accomplishment, and
enduring friendships. Hers was a gentle and serene
spirit, beloved by all who knew her.
Carol was born on August 8, 1930, to Burton andl
Pauline (Kenyon) Rogers in Chicago. She grew up in
Everett, Washington. When asked how she coped with
the hardships of the current pandemic with such grace,
she replied that her formative years were spent dur-
ing times of real hardship: the Great Depression and
World War II. ’
Always a good student, Carol attended the Universi-
ty Of Washington School Of Law. While there, she me
and fell in love with fellow law student Herbert Fuller.
They bonded through a characteristic act of kindness:
Carol would visit Herb in the hospital and read him the notes she had taken
i
class while he was in bed suffering from mononucleosis. The couple married
dur-
ing the winter break of their third year of law school. After law school on
the final
day of the 3-day Bar exam, the couple came home to find Herb’s drafi
notice i
the mailbox.
Herbert was posted to Germany and Carol gladly accompanied him. The young
couple thrived in the cultural atmosphere of Europe, traveling and
attending con-
certs and museums when Herb had leave. Their son Jay was born in Germany
in 1956.
When Herb’s tour of duty was over, the couple returned to the Northwest,
living first in Seattle and then moving to Olympia when Herb was hired by
the
Washington State Attorney General. Carol was busy caring for her growing
fam-
ily. Marya was born in 1958 and Nina followed in 1959.
With a spirit of adventure, Carol took the bold move in 1963 of convincing
her husband to quit his promising career, and decamp with their three small
children back to their beloved Europe. The family lived for a year in
Paris, and
then moved to Nuremberg, Germany for three years where Herb worked for the
Dept. of Defense.
Upon returning to the United States in 1967, the family re-established
theilj
close ties in Mason and Thurston Counties. Carol and Herb lived in the Sout
Sound area for the rest of their days. Their home on Cooper Point was a
gathering
place for family and the Olympia community.
Carol began practicing law in 1970 with Pierce County Legal Services. Not!
every lawyer could have launched such an ultimately successful career after
such
a long hiatus, but Carol was ambitious in her quiet way.
Carol and Herb joined their professional as well as personal lives when
theyl
founded Fuller & Fuller, Attorneys, in 1972. The law firm endures to
this day and
is an important part of her legacy to the community. All three of her
children and
her daughter-in-law became lawyers and joined the family firm.
Carol’s legal emphasis was family law. Throughout her career, she was an
advocate for women and children. In 1973, for example, she lobbied for the
n0~
fault divorce law that was ultimately passed. Beginning in 1981, she became
a?!
adjunct family law professor at University of Puget Sound Law School
teachin
family law for two years, even while she was working full time.
In 1974, she began her distinguished career in public service when she
became
the District Court Judge in Mason County. Five years later, she became the
firs
female Superior Court Judge outside of King County when she was elected til
the Thurston/Mason County bench. Her judicial robe had to be special
ordered
because there were no robes in women’s sizes, especially for someone so
petite.
During Carol’s judicial career she dispensed justice on a wide variety of
cases,
from complex litigation against the state, to capital crimes, civil
litigation, an
family law matters. She especially enjoyed the happier side of her Work:
perform-
ing weddings and adoptions.
Throughout her career, Carol was a pioneer for gender equality. She was no
solely focused on her own career; instead, she worked tirelessly to mentor
othe
women lawyers, and especially women judges. All of her children have hear
from countless women in the law that Carol was an inspiration and support
fo
them.
Outside of her judicial career, Carol had a busy life. She was an active
sup-
porter of the arts, especially live theater, throughout her life, and
seemed to have
season tickets to every venue in the state. Carol and Herb were poetry
lover
who hosted poetry readings and sponsored the Fuller Poetry Prize at TESC.
Sh
never lost her love of travel and traveled widely in Europe and Asia, in
additio
to trips closer to home hiking or exploring Puget Sound on her beloved
boat,
“The Defense Rests.” Her hobby was cooking, and she would prepare
sumptuous
feasts for her family. On holidays, she would welcome friends and family,
ofte
cooking for 35 or more. Spiritually, Buddhism and her meditation practice
adde
to her joy for living.
Carol’s favorite pastime in retirement was spending time with her
grandchil—
dren: Evan (Wife Elizabeth) and Sean Fuller (sons of Jay and Leonor
Fuller), Jas-
Judge Carol A. Fuller, Ret. 1
.. g
into the family: Shannon and Kalea Strickland and their children. Carol’s
hus-
band predeceased her in 2018, after a marriage of more than 60 years.
Carol was an example of how to live your best life, always seeing the best
i
others and steadfastly persevering through adversity with grace and
serenity.
A Memorial Service will be live streamed on Saturday, October 17, 2020 at
1:30
pm. If you would like to view it, go to
https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/968872378.
Should you wish to make a donation in Carol’s memory, please consider the
Thurston County Food Bank, 220 Thurston Ave. NE, Olympia, WA 98501, 0
online at https://thurstoncountyfoodbank.org.
\ Please share memories at www.FuneralAlternatives.org