Paul Michael Fulcomer, known by his loved ones as Mike, died peacefully on October 14, 2020 at age 87 after suffering complications from a stroke.
Mike came into this world in April 1933 as the first and only child of the late Paul and Myrtle Fulcomer. He was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. Mike is survived by his two children, James Fulcomer and Donna Leichtenschlag; his brother-in-law Arthur Hinsvark and family, and his five grandchildren: Eric, Michael, Christina, Jessica, and Nicolette.
Mike was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and spent his formative years there before his Dad’s work as a radio broadcaster predicated several moves throughout the midwest. Mike eventually ended up back in Chicago at Northwestern University, where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1957.
During college, Mike alternated academic study with periods of full-time work for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in Washington DC. Upon graduating from Northwestern, he worked full time for NBS (now known as NIST) as an Electrical Engineer. He was a company man who stayed with NIST throughout his entire career, up until his retirement in 1990.
Mike loved to escape the DC area’s summer heat and humidity by taking the family on month-long trips each year to visit extended family and tour the west. He particularly enjoyed the cool, clear climate of the Rocky Mountains. His favorite place to visit was Jasper, Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies. He had a passion for photography and took many amazing pictures during these trips.
One of Mike’s favorite and enduring hobbies was building model railroads. He started with the larger G scale trains then moved on to primarily HO scale trains. He built and maintained a complex layout of tracks and switches that only a true Engineer could understand and operate. Mike’s other hobbies included bowling, particularly duckpin bowling, and softball. He was the pitcher and manager for his NIST softball team and continued as the team manager for several years after he himself had stopped playing. Mike was also a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, and was over the moon when the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016.
In later years, Mike continued to enjoy following the Chicago Cubs, expanding his model train collection, and watching movies. Most of all he enjoyed visits from his children and grandchildren. Mike was devastated by the passing of his wife, Kay, in August.
We will celebrate Mike’s life with a Memorial Service on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 3:00 PM at Harry Witzke Family Funeral Home in Ellicott City, MD. The service will also be live streamed on the Harry Witzke Family Funeral Home Facebook page.
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