It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mr. Paul Fletcher Fuller at the Red Deer Hospice on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at the age of 78 years. Paul was born on May 23, 1945 in El Centro, Troco Hospital, Columbia, South America.
In his own words, Paul’s Life Story is as follows:
“I was the first child born to Harold and Ruth Fuller. My dad was an engineer and my mom was a dental assistant. I was three years old when the family moved back to Alberta from Columbia, and I started school, Grade one, in Edmonton. Later we moved to Calgary, to the Elbow Drive area. The family had horses and a little barn. I attended school at Strathcona Boys School on Riverdale Avenue in Calgary. The family bought and moved to Okotoks to a section of land, later known as the D’arcy Ranch Golf Course. I always showed and rode horses and always had a passion for the ‘Western Way’, not English riding, like the rest of the kids in my family. I always had a western saddle in the back of the car. After Pony Club, I would switch saddles and ride home. At an event called 7 Events (English Ridin), my dad insisted I enter. I didn’t want to, so once the event started, I veered off and headed home. Dad caught up to me with the truck and trailer and was LIVID! That stunt worked though because I never had to go to those events again. That era, the family got introduced to the Bews and Wilson families. The Fuller family competed against them in horse shows. Tom and Bob have been lifelong friends ever since. In 1961, I made the journey to Wilcox, Saskatchewan to attend Notre Dame College. My parents sent me, I didn’t have a choice. It was a very tough time as I was very homesick, and the living conditions were very tough. I had qualified the previous summer for the Canadian High School Calf Roping Finals, but the school wouldn’t let me compete. I completed grades seven to twelve at Notre Dame. First job out of High School, I went to work on the rigs up north, working up there until Christmas. That was where I got to see the pilots and thought that was a great job. I decided to go back to school and upgrade to my Grade Twelve Diploma. I got a job working for Peterson Cement Truck and learning how to fly. My private license cost $600.00 and the government gave back $100.00. I loved flying, but I did not pursue it like I should have. I moved to Edmonton and worked on drilling rigs. All I did was work on rigs and spend the money. On days off, I pulled into the car dealership and purchased a 1962 Satellite convertible, red with white interior. I knew I couldn’t afford the payments, but I had it for about a year. I drove it to Victoria and left it with my dad to get rid of it.
I started working with Jerry Spencer, who had just started a new company doing Pipeline Inspections. I went all over Alberta, inspecting pipelines, for about a year and a half. I went to work for Black Sheep Boutique Clothing Company in Edmonton, managing the store, when I was sent to Granville in Vancouver, to manage the store there. The company opened a store in Calgary and sent me back there to manage it. Then, moved back to Calgary.
Back in Calgary, I got the flying bug again. I started working on my Commercial License, and while working at the Black Sheep Boutique, I got my Commercial License. I sent out hundreds of resumes, they all said I needed more hours before they would hire me. My Mom knew someone in Regina, so got a lead with an Aviation company there. I moved to Regina and worked for Grizzley Air; it was a flight school and charter company. I started by sweeping hanger floors and flying charters. I got my Instructors License, Instrument, and Twin rating; it was a good job. I flew out of Regina for a few more years, then the company went broke. I called Jerry Spencer, went to Edmonton, and stayed with Jerry. Later, got an apartment in Edmonton, working for Voice Construction and a dispatch. Hated It!! I then got a job with John Skodopole Aviation, moved to Olds, and lived in an apartment. I flew pipeline patrol from Central Alberta to the U.S Border, up and down the province, checking pipelines. Little Company in Calgary was looking for a pilot and I was hired by Western Research and Development. That was a good job!!I moved back to Calgary, rented a house close to the airport, where I flew out of. Western Resources eventually realized what it cost to operate a plane and pilot – so I got let go. “Take your balls and briefcase and go see Don Benny”, is what they told me. As it turned out, I had a flying job again. Bow Valley Resources was the company, and the plane was an old Aztec. I then started flying Bill Hay and other company people around to see gas plant sites, around Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, and Whitecourt, which were a few of the places. On one such trip, flying Bill to Regina, I parked the plane in the hangar and when we went to fly home, the plane would not start. “So go get yourself a new plane” I was told. I put numbers together, Piper Cheyenne and King Air were my choices, I gave the information to Don Benny, I left that meeting beside myself, figuring I didn’t have a job, and I didn’t. I got a job working construction, pushing a wheelbarrow. I didn’t like that job either. “Manual labour” was not one of my things.
I then got a job as a Flight Instructor, in Calgary. Jordan Flight Services paid by the hour, and it was half decent money. Mostly instrument rating flying. It was good flying, but not enough hours. While working for Jordan Flight Services, I got a call from Don Benny, he said, come down to the office. We are not going out and buy a new airplane if we have an old Aztec out at Spring Bank. We will use it for a bit and see if this is what we really need. That was perfect! I had my own plane and flew when they needed me. The toughest part was getting these guys to use the plane as they had all been used to driving everywhere. After a few months, they decided to buy a bigger plane. Bow Valley Resources bought the airplane “Cheyenne Two”. The drilling camp used it a majority of the time. I flew executives and crew changes. It was a great job. I flew all over North America. Far north as the Arctic Circle, far south as Miami, far east as Wichita, Kansas and far west as San Francisco. Almost ten years of the best job one could ever have. 1980, oil crashed, and the plane was sold. As the plane was high profile and Bow Valley Resources was a public company, they couldn’t be seen like that. They brought me to the downtown office to work in sales. I worked for the summer while people were on holidays, selling drilling rig contracts, I got hired full time. Sedco High Tower was bought by Precision Drilling, and we all lost our jobs.
Nothing to do, and no job, I went to work for Peak Resources, hustling drill pipe in camps and working in the downtown office.
I was always interested in horses and rodeo my whole life. Once I was back in the Calgary area, I bought a horse from Bill Nugent and kept it at Carrie Wilsons. I would drive from Calgary to Sundre every weekend to rope. I had a good friend, Tom Bews at Longview, who had an arena, and I could rope there. I found a place in Okotoks to board my horse. I roped and rode lots and got better and better. Running out of horsepower, I’d trade one horse for a better one. This is how my life was for many years.
I met Beth in 1993, and the rest is history. We were married at the Millarville Church on May 13, 1996.
I found the true meaning of family and love.
We bought our first house in 1995 at Kentish Drive in Calgary. My first house at the age of fifty. I had not saved any money; I really lived paycheck to paycheck. I enjoyed my life and lived it to the fullest. A good friend, Doc Seaman got me involved with the conceptions of Totonka Drilling and Lakota Drilling. These were very good years, and I made some money.
In 2000, we bought thirty-five acres west of Okotoks, kind of felt full circle, being raised near Okotoks as a kid. In 2014, moved to the Red Deer ranch. Made new friends and kept the old ones, and still did lots of team roping. We started to go to Arizona for the winters. In 2001, purchased a Freightliner and living quarters trailer, and could haul my horses year-round. We purchased our first place in Arizona in 2002, we purchased our second place in 2008, and we sold our beautiful home in Arizona in 2020.
I got sick with prostate cancer February 2021.”
~ Paul Fuller ~
Paul’s legacy will be honored, and he will be lovingly remembered by everyone who knew him.
There will be a Team Roping Celebration of Life in Paul’s honor to be announced in the spring or summer of 2024. Hope to see you there.
If desired, Memorial Donations can be made to the Red Deer Hospice Society at www.reddeerhospice.com or to Prostate Cancer in Paul’s honor at canadiancancer.ca.
Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer)

6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040.

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• Date : 2024-02-16
• Location : Locally Family Owned (Red Deer) www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com