William "Bill" Gilbert Fuller

William Gilbert (Bill) Fuller, 88, of Wilson, Oklahoma, passed from the presence of his family into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Monday June 10, 2024. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Martha Ann Dack Fuller, son Gary and wife Kim, son Mark and wife Mary, son Paul, daughter Laurie and husband Brent Brooks, 9 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at the First Baptist Church in Wilson, OK, at 11:00 A.M., on Wednesday June 19, 2024. There will be a private burial Tuesday, prior to the memorial service, at the Chapel Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Robinson, TX.

Born William Gilbert Fuller on September 6, 1935, in Corsicana, TX, he was known as Bill for much of his life and known as Papa Bill to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Bill graduated high school from Odessa High School and felt God calling him to go into the ministry. He hitchhiked to Waco, TX to attend Baylor University in 1954. There he met Martha Ann Dack and fell in love. They were married on July 30, 1955. Bill worked various jobs to support the two of them, including delivering milk and driving trucks. In 1958, Gary Layne was born in Waco. The family then moved to Odessa where two more sons were born, Mark Wayne and Paul Dwayne. Then Bill felt God’s calling again to go back and finish his education at Baylor. So, back to Waco where Laurie Jayne was born. During this time Bill was pastor at First Baptist Church Riesel, TX. After graduation, Bill attended seminary in Fort Worth, TX while serving as pastor at Cottonwood Baptist Church in the Waco area, this while supporting a family of six and completing his master’s degree.

After graduating from seminary, Bill continued his life of ministry, primarily as Minister of Education at various Southern Baptist churches. These included years at Ingleside Baptist in Shreveport, LA, First Baptist Okmulgee, OK, pastoring at Hichita, OK and finally Minister of Education at Calvary Baptist in Okmulgee, OK.

Bill loved to fish. There were many fishing outings for him and his kids, starting in the Shreveport area. However, he met his lifetime fishing partner when he met Muriel Wright in Okmulgee, OK. Oh, the fishing stories we heard. When family visited, he took his kids and grandkids on many of the fishing outings. Bill and Martha moved to 2.5 acres just outside Okmulgee that had a pond and plenty of space for family fun and games such as fishing off the pier, ping pong, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, July 4th parties, Christmas family gatherings and 42. There were always domino games of 42. The memories made by all the children and grandchildren at their home will never be forgotten.

Bill loved to serve his Lord Jesus Christ and enjoyed the fellowship and friendship of the people he worked and served with at the churches he served in. He was a consistent witness for Christ and sought to make Christ a focal point for his children in their lives.

In 2016, Bill and Martha then moved to Ardmore, OK to be near their son, Mark. They rested comfortably in a retirement center for many years and recently moved to a nursing center, enjoying their final years together and visits from their 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

Bill lived out Philippians 1:21, For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. His life was spent living out Christ through his service to the people in the churches he served at. All that is left now is the gain that comes from being in the presence of Christ for eternity.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff workers at The Lodge at Ardmore Village and Wilson Nursing Center for their kindness and care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, www.imb.org/generosity.

Services are under the care and direction of Alexander Gray Funeral Home in Wilson.

Condolences and memories may be shared online at www.alexandergrayfh.com.