Otis Fulmer, Jr, 91, of Spruce Pine, NC, passed away peacefully Saturday, August 10, 2024, leaving behind his son, Thomas Fulmer (Jennifer) and grandsons, Kevin and John of Mars Hill, NC.
Otis was born February 12, 1933, son of the late Otis T. and Lillie Mae Fulmer, and the fourth of five brothers: Carrol, George, Henry, and Willie, all of whom preceded him in death.
After attending Monetta High School, he began working on WWII range finders and anti-geo for aircraft in Augusta, Georgia. Then he was drafted into the US Army. After completing his military service, he attended the University of South Carolina for engineering and started working for Von Braun on the Juno Vehicle and the Jupiter C rocket. In 1961, he transferred to NASA and eventually moved to the MILA (Merritt Island Launch Area) which turned into the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
Otis met his wife, Barbara Ann Fulmer, that same year, and they were married for 54 years before she passed away in 2020. While working for NASA, he worked on all the moon shots, Skylab 1 and 2, and the joint Russian/US Space mission. He continued to work with the US Space Program through the eighth mission of the Shuttle Program when he retired.
Otis and Barbara moved to Spruce Pine, NC, in 1997, where Otis actively served as a member of the First Presbyterian Church and the Lions Club, and enjoyed cooking, bird-watching, gardening, and being “Grumps.” As their health declined, they moved to the Mars Hill Retirement Community to be closer to family.
Graveside services and interment will be on Saturday, August 31, 2024 in the Spruce Pine Memorial Cemetery with the Rev. Michael Poulos officiating.
Words of comfort may be e-mailed to the family by going to the website; www.webbfh.com, selecting Otis Fulmer, Jr’s. name and then you may sign his guestbook.
Webb Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements for Mr. Fulmer and is honored to be serving the Fulmer family.
Mr. Fulmer’s obituary has also been posted on Facebook for viewing
