Francis “Fran” H. Fuller

CHESTERVILLE – Francis “Fran” H. Fuller died at home of natural causes on Oct. 13, 2025.

He was born on April 27, 1939, at Fort Benning, Ga., to Col. Francis R. Fuller and Martha Cleo Ledbetter Fuller. The family moved to Maine after Col. Fuller retired. Fran graduated from Orono High School and went on to Bowdoin College where he majored in English, performed with the Mask & Gown student performance group, was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and, by his own account, devoted less attention than was warranted to his studies. He graduated in 1961.

Immediately upon graduation, Fran was hired by Bowdoin as caretaker for Admiral Peary’s Eagle Island for six months. He then joined the Army Intelligence Service where he rose to the rank of captain. After four and a half years of active duty, he resigned in protest against the U.S. policy in Vietnam and spent time working to muster opposition to the Vietnam War.

Fran went on to develop resources for teacher education employed by the New England Program in Teacher Education in Durham, N.H. Following that, he worked as Director of Student Services during the startup of Maine’s Washington County Vocational Region 6.

After these positions, Fran decided that he wanted a career helping people more directly so he returned to school to earn a master’s in Education in Counseling in 1975 at the University of Maine where became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. From there, he went to work for the State of Maine as an employee of the Department of Mental Health and Corrections, working as a Psychiatric Social Worker, Case Manager, and Child Development Worker. Interspersed with these assignments, Fran held jobs doing family therapy in various settings—office-, home-, and shelter-based work with adolescents in Austin, Texas, and in Kennebec, Somerset, and Washington Counties in Maine. For the final 10 years of his career, he worked for the National Alliance on Mental Illness as a member of the NAMI Maine staff in Augusta where he helped to staff the telephone helpline.

Fran enjoyed gardening and earned his Master Gardiner certification through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. He loved to be in the woods and on the water—tending the woodlot, cross-country skiing, hiking, and canoeing with his loving wife, Carolyn Drugge and their friends and family. Fran was deeply concerned about the environment and the impact of climate change on the earth. In addition, he and Carolyn were part of a committed group of volunteers helping to establish the Chesterville Center Union Meeting House to be a place where community could come together to share and appreciate the performing arts, knowledge, and each other.

Fran was late finding the love of his life, Carolyn; but once they found each other they were inseparable. They married on July 3, 1999 and remained happily together until his death.

In addition to his wife, Fran is survived by his brother, William “Bill” Fuller, and sister-in-law Judy Fuller; nieces Marsha Fuller and Katherine Everett, all of Bar Harbor; as well as cousins Mary Cureton and Joan Lindsay, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Kenneth Howland of Orange, Conn. He is also survived by stepson, Jan Erik Drugge (wife – Diane Drugge) of North Stonington, Conn., and stepdaughter, Karen Kemble (husband – Jay Kemble) of Bangor; and step-grandchildren, Jan Erik Drugge II of Portland, Peter Kemble (wife – Sydni Cosgrove) of Portland, and Anna Kemble of Bangor.

A celebration of life will be held at the Chesterville Center Union Meeting House, located at 3 Borough Rd., in Chesterville, on Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1:30 p.m.

Arrangements are under the care of Dan and Scott’s Cremation and Funeral Service, 488 Farmington Falls Rd., Farmington, where memories, photos and condolences may be shared at dsfuneral.com.

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to make a contribution in Fran’s memory, please feel free to make a gift of support to the

Chesterville Center Union Meeting House

General Delivery

Farmington Falls, ME 04940; or the

University of Maine Climate Change Institute,

c/o University of Maine Foundation

Two Alumni Place

Orono, ME 04469