Kathleen (Kay) Ann Fulcomer died peacefully early Thursday morning, August 20, 2020, at Casey House Hospice after fighting complications from a spinal infection for three months.
Born March 1939, she was the oldest child of the late Glenn and Elaine Hinsvark. She was a dedicated and loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Kay is survived by her husband, Michael Fulcomer; her two children, James Fulcomer and Donna Leichtenschlag; her brother Arthur Hinsvark, and her five grandchildren: Eric, Michael, Christina, Jessica, and Nikki.
Kay was a dedicated elementary and middle school teacher for over thirty-five years. Her love for science and nature combined with a genuine commitment to education made her extremely popular and well respected by her students and co-workers alike. With her energetic teaching style, Kay engaged her students with hands-on science experiments and Outdoor Education field trips.
Early in life, Kay developed a love of nature as a Girl Scout, which only grew as the years passed. During her years as a Girl Scout leader and decades as a volunteer for many community organizations and nonprofits, she taught first aid, canoeing, outdoor safety, and led many canoeing trips, river clean-ups, and educational nature events. Kay was a role model for countless others and touched so many lives as she shared her love of the outdoors.
Kay discovered her passion for cross-country skiing and canoeing/kayaking in the mid-’70s; co-authoring several books and participating in hundreds of cross-country skiing and white-water outings including annual multi-state canoeing excursions. She loved to travel, tying her canoe to the top of her van and driving all over North America to paddle various rivers and bodies of water. She also enjoyed yoga, reading, playing the piano, and identifying trees, plants, flowers, and wildlife.
As an active member of her community, she organized many river cleanups and participated in local conservation organizations. She was a member of the Canoe Cruisers Association of Greater Washington DC, the Muddy Branch Alliance, the Montgomery County Water Quality Advisory Group, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association, and many more.
Even with all of her accomplishments, friendships, and interests in her lifetime, there was nothing she treasured more than the time she spent with her mother as she cared for her during the last few years of her life.
We celebrated Kay’s life with a Memorial Service on Sunday, August 23, 2020, at 2:00 PM at Harry Witzke Family Funeral Home in Ellicott City, MD. To see the live streaming video recording of the service, scroll down and click on the link below the service details.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kay’s memory to Rock Creek Conservancy. Donation details are listed below.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Kathleen Ann Fulcomer, please visit our floral store.