We write to publicly acknowledge the generosity of longtime local philanthropist Robert J. Fuller Jr. and to thank him on behalf of the City Council and our community for his kind-heartedness in general and for his most recent $1.64 million gift in particular.

As many are aware, Bob Fuller had a distinguished career as a local attorney, a partner in one of Maine’s premier law firms. He also served our nation as a longtime senior officer in the Naval Reserve. For many years, he has supported a wide array of worthy local causes, ranging from our community hospital, to the preservation of our deep and rich local history, to the renovation and expansion of our library, to our first-class YMCA complex and to local scholarship funds.

Bob has had a particular concern for the needs of the least fortunate among us, strongly supporting our local not-for-profit, the Augusta Food Bank, and its regional umbrella entity, the Good Shepherd Food Bank, with years of charitable contributions to both.

To be closer to family, Bob in recent years has resided in the suburban Washington, D.C., area but his heart is still here in the community he considers his ancestral home. His family tree boasts distinguished lineage on both its Fuller and Cony branches, something Bob rightly takes great pride in.

Last year, when higher than expected bid prices and the emerging pandemic complicated community efforts to raise the necessary funds to upgrade the high school’s Alumni Field complex and to install a state-of-the-art artificial turf playing field, we thought that the project would need to be shelved indefinitely. At that time, Bob had already offered to contribute up to $500,000 to its cost. Determined to see this effort through to a successful conclusion, Bob recently reached out to us and asked what would be necessary to get the job done right away. When told we needed a total of more than $1.6 million, he said without hesitation “I can do that — let’s get going” (We responded “Aye, Aye, Captain!”)

We’re now out to bid again and anticipate breaking ground on the new complex later this spring.

In recognition of Bob’s inspiring contribution to this project and to his years of ongoing support to our community, the City Council has renamed the complex Fuller Field. In typical fashion, Bob has characterized his contribution not as a gift but rather as an investment in the youth of our community that will pay dividends for generations to come.

We could not agree more.

Dave Rollins is mayor of Augusta. Bill Bridgeo is city manager.