Obituary for Dorothea Ann "Dot" (Glaser) Fullem
Essex Junction VT- Dorothea Ann "Dot" (Glaser) Fullem, 92 years young, of Essex Junction, VT passed away unexpectedly on September 1, 2021 in the company of her loving family. Her passing was marked by a spectacularly vibrant beautiful sunset that evening – a glowing reminder of her spirit and of a life very well-lived.
Born in Rochester, New York on August 29, 1929, she was the daughter of Leonard and Mary (Schneider) Glaser. Despite the severe challenges of polio at age 1, she persevered and enjoyed many accomplishments as a young woman, a testament to her fierce determination, survival skills, kindness, creativity, and humor. Losing her father at a young age, her mother and six siblings were very supportive and encouraging of each other. Growing up in Rochester, Dot was a lifeguard (the start of a lifelong love of swimming), and in the glee club, theatre and Student Council at Our Lady of Mercy High School. Mercy High School solidified her strong faith in God and friends: “I learned much, but most of all I learned that I can do or be anything I choose, if I work hard enough.”
She married John P. Fullem in 1951 and they lived in Rochester, Utica and Syracuse NY before eventually settling in Burlington Vermont for John’s job in 1969. Besides being a busy mother to 7 children, she found balance in her life outside the home: for example, as publicity spokesperson for Utica Speed Skating Club and fulfilling her life-long interest in education attending at Rochester Business Institute, Champlain College and UVM. She retired from her secretarial career at UVM Residential Life at Christie/Wright/Patterson (UVM Oktoberfest) where she became a “mother, mentor and confidant” to many students & colleagues. Many of whom have continued their friendship throughout the years on a variety of social media platforms.
Dot made many memories and traditions with her growing family in Vermont as she organized camping trips every summer, outlet shopping trips to NY, vacation trips to Florida and Cape Cod, family gatherings, creating gardens, her incredible pies at holiday times (which she passed down to several of her children!), sewing Stunt Night costumes every year, and family Christmas Eve parties complete with a visit from Santa. Dot was Santa’s secret elf, gathering little gifts throughout the year and writing a poem about the gag gift for each family member. Even after she was relegated to a wheelchair, Dot could be found swimming with friends at the Essex Edge or sunning herself while reading a plethora of novels. She remained active and fiercely enabled, not disabled! She also took an active interest in the lives of her children and grandchildren and was seen regularly at basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball games, concerts, & cross country meets and Stunt Night performances, the CV Fair & most craft fairs: if her family was there, so was she! She was there cheering in Spring 2020 when the MMU girls’ basketball team won their quarter-final game and was ready to see them play for the state championship at Patrick Gym (in-person, or with her iPad if necessary!) until the pandemic hit.
Advocacy, for herself and especially for others, is a big part of Dot’s story: she considered herself as informed-by, but never disabled-by, the lifelong effects of her childhood polio. As the mother of a special needs child, she was a tireless and prescient proponent of mainstreaming her daughter and she, along with John, were a force to be reckoned with in the formation of the forerunner of Champlain Community Services, which provides services for many in the Vermont special needs community. She also went to Washington DC to testify on behalf of the special needs community, for which we are so proud and grateful.
Dot is survived by a large and loving family including her children: Ann Fullem, Barbara (Martin) Byster, Patrick Fullem, Teresa Crowley, John (Michelle) Fullem, Michael (Leah) Fullem, Linda (Jim) Scott; and her loving grandchildren: Katie Crowley (Chris) Forleo, Mary Crowley (Jeff) Maneval, John Crowley, Michael Fullem, Casey Fullem, Patrick Fullem, Connor Fullem, Emily Scott, Erin Scott, Allison Fullem, Nathan Fullem and Brendan Fullem plus great grandchildren, Myles and Mia Forleo. She is also survived by her two dear sisters Mary Elizabeth “Honey” Penders and Lorraine Donadoni and many very special nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends through the years. She was predeceased by her husband, John P. Fullem, her brothers, Leonard, John and Joseph Glaser, her sister, Jeanne Kenney, sisters in law, Mary Glaser, Deborah Glaser, Pauline Glaser, Rita Day Revellese, her brother in laws Robert Day, Edward Fullem, John Kenney, Mark Penders and George Donadoni.
We would like to thank the wonderful staff at Alderbrook Family Health in Essex Junction who have been with Mom on every step of her journey, the caregivers at Green Mountain Rehabilitation for their kind and attentive care and the staff at Medical Center of Vermont for their kindness and compassion. Special thanks to her caregiver Brianna Hanlon, her wonderful Edge pool friends, Monsignor Michael DeForge who was her faithful advisor and Joan Ladacoeur for her support and care.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 5-7 PM at the A W Rich Funeral Home. 57 Main Street, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 12 noon at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 72 Church Street, Shelburne, VT 05482. Inurnment will follow in the family plot in Resurrection Park, 200 Hinesburg Rd., South Burlington, VT 05403. Memorial contributions in Dottie’s memory may be made to Champlain Community Services, 512 Troy Ave, Colchester, VT 05446 as her daughter, Ann Marie Fullem, and her granddaughter, Emily Scott, continue to be supported by this wonderful agency. https://ccs-vt.org/support-ccs/¶
The family also invites you to share your memories and condolences by visiting www.awrfh.com.
Born in Rochester, New York on August 29, 1929, she was the daughter of Leonard and Mary (Schneider) Glaser. Despite the severe challenges of polio at age 1, she persevered and enjoyed many accomplishments as a young woman, a testament to her fierce determination, survival skills, kindness, creativity, and humor. Losing her father at a young age, her mother and six siblings were very supportive and encouraging of each other. Growing up in Rochester, Dot was a lifeguard (the start of a lifelong love of swimming), and in the glee club, theatre and Student Council at Our Lady of Mercy High School. Mercy High School solidified her strong faith in God and friends: “I learned much, but most of all I learned that I can do or be anything I choose, if I work hard enough.”
She married John P. Fullem in 1951 and they lived in Rochester, Utica and Syracuse NY before eventually settling in Burlington Vermont for John’s job in 1969. Besides being a busy mother to 7 children, she found balance in her life outside the home: for example, as publicity spokesperson for Utica Speed Skating Club and fulfilling her life-long interest in education attending at Rochester Business Institute, Champlain College and UVM. She retired from her secretarial career at UVM Residential Life at Christie/Wright/Patterson (UVM Oktoberfest) where she became a “mother, mentor and confidant” to many students & colleagues. Many of whom have continued their friendship throughout the years on a variety of social media platforms.
Dot made many memories and traditions with her growing family in Vermont as she organized camping trips every summer, outlet shopping trips to NY, vacation trips to Florida and Cape Cod, family gatherings, creating gardens, her incredible pies at holiday times (which she passed down to several of her children!), sewing Stunt Night costumes every year, and family Christmas Eve parties complete with a visit from Santa. Dot was Santa’s secret elf, gathering little gifts throughout the year and writing a poem about the gag gift for each family member. Even after she was relegated to a wheelchair, Dot could be found swimming with friends at the Essex Edge or sunning herself while reading a plethora of novels. She remained active and fiercely enabled, not disabled! She also took an active interest in the lives of her children and grandchildren and was seen regularly at basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball games, concerts, & cross country meets and Stunt Night performances, the CV Fair & most craft fairs: if her family was there, so was she! She was there cheering in Spring 2020 when the MMU girls’ basketball team won their quarter-final game and was ready to see them play for the state championship at Patrick Gym (in-person, or with her iPad if necessary!) until the pandemic hit.
Advocacy, for herself and especially for others, is a big part of Dot’s story: she considered herself as informed-by, but never disabled-by, the lifelong effects of her childhood polio. As the mother of a special needs child, she was a tireless and prescient proponent of mainstreaming her daughter and she, along with John, were a force to be reckoned with in the formation of the forerunner of Champlain Community Services, which provides services for many in the Vermont special needs community. She also went to Washington DC to testify on behalf of the special needs community, for which we are so proud and grateful.
Dot is survived by a large and loving family including her children: Ann Fullem, Barbara (Martin) Byster, Patrick Fullem, Teresa Crowley, John (Michelle) Fullem, Michael (Leah) Fullem, Linda (Jim) Scott; and her loving grandchildren: Katie Crowley (Chris) Forleo, Mary Crowley (Jeff) Maneval, John Crowley, Michael Fullem, Casey Fullem, Patrick Fullem, Connor Fullem, Emily Scott, Erin Scott, Allison Fullem, Nathan Fullem and Brendan Fullem plus great grandchildren, Myles and Mia Forleo. She is also survived by her two dear sisters Mary Elizabeth “Honey” Penders and Lorraine Donadoni and many very special nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends through the years. She was predeceased by her husband, John P. Fullem, her brothers, Leonard, John and Joseph Glaser, her sister, Jeanne Kenney, sisters in law, Mary Glaser, Deborah Glaser, Pauline Glaser, Rita Day Revellese, her brother in laws Robert Day, Edward Fullem, John Kenney, Mark Penders and George Donadoni.
We would like to thank the wonderful staff at Alderbrook Family Health in Essex Junction who have been with Mom on every step of her journey, the caregivers at Green Mountain Rehabilitation for their kind and attentive care and the staff at Medical Center of Vermont for their kindness and compassion. Special thanks to her caregiver Brianna Hanlon, her wonderful Edge pool friends, Monsignor Michael DeForge who was her faithful advisor and Joan Ladacoeur for her support and care.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 5-7 PM at the A W Rich Funeral Home. 57 Main Street, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 12 noon at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 72 Church Street, Shelburne, VT 05482. Inurnment will follow in the family plot in Resurrection Park, 200 Hinesburg Rd., South Burlington, VT 05403. Memorial contributions in Dottie’s memory may be made to Champlain Community Services, 512 Troy Ave, Colchester, VT 05446 as her daughter, Ann Marie Fullem, and her granddaughter, Emily Scott, continue to be supported by this wonderful agency. https://ccs-vt.org/support-ccs/¶
The family also invites you to share your memories and condolences by visiting www.awrfh.com.