The Washtenaw County Road Commission mourns the death of Road Commissioner Douglas E. Fuller, who passed away on Saturday, November 26.
Commissioner D. Fuller had been a member of the Washtenaw County Board of County Road Commissioners since 2009, serving as board chair from 2011 to 2020. He brought significant professional experience to his role, having worked as a road construction contractor for his entire career.
“Doug was a wonderful mentor and coach to me and many others,” shared Barbara Ryan Fuller, current WCRC Board chair, “He was truly one-of-a-kind, and we were lucky to have worked with him for as long as we did.”
Commissioner D. Fuller served as WCRC’s representative on many community boards, including the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study where he was instrumental in securing critical state and federal funds to build and maintain the county’s roads and bridges; the Michigan County Road Commission Self-Insurance Pool, where he worked with other members to ensure the fiscal health of the statewide insurance pool; and the County Road Association of Michigan, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award in 2021.
Commissioner D. Fuller dedicated much of his life to serving the public. Prior to his time on the WCRC Board, he served in the US Navy Seabees, building roads and airfields throughout the Pacific region during the Vietnam War. Later in life, Commissioner D. Fuller served as a planning commissioner for Scio Township and was a member of the Scio Township Zoning Board of Appeals before becoming a road commissioner. Commissioner D. Fuller was an active member of the Dexter Rotary, the Dexter Chamber of Commerce and the Loch Alpine Sanitary Authority.
Commissioner D. Fuller brought a tremendous amount of passion, character and knowledge to the things he did. He had a story for everything and loved seeing infrastructure projects come to life on his many field visits with staff and contractors. He remained passionate about roads and infrastructure, trains and Scotland until his passing.
Commissioner D. Fuller’s presence is already deeply missed by all who knew him.
