Delma Marie Fullam

WENDELL - Delma Marie Fullam (Brown) was born on June 30, 1928, in Crab Orchard, Ky., the sixth of nine children born to Virgil Brown and Vina Atkins Brown, and passed away peacefully on July 6, 2020. She left home at the age of 14 to live in Cincinnati with her oldest sister, Inez and her husband Andy, working in factories and attending night school. After the war was over, she got a job as a car hop waitress at Frisch’s, where she met a handsome railroad worker, Raymond Fullam. They later married in November of 1948 and would raise five children together in Cincinnati, later moving to Hickory, North Carolina. She is survived by three of her five children, Lary Fullam, Nancy (Hank) Wylie, and John Fullam, and preceded in death by her husband Raymond (1985) and sons Gary (2015) and Richard (1985). She is survived by grandchildren: David Fullam, Sarah (Chris) Campbell, Adam (Catherine) Wylie, AJ (Tekila) Fullam, Tyler Wylie, Elise (Zack) Anderson, Richard Fullam, and Meredith Wylie; her younger sister Ardith (Denton) Alexander; and Raymond’s sisters Carolyn Trotta and Patsy (Donald) Rechel, in addition to many beloved great-grandchildren, cousins, nephews and nieces. Delma will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, whose family will miss her loving praise and admiration. As a woman in her own right, she was truly incomparable. Anyone who ever spent time with Delma knew that not only did she have a unique name (as many of her siblings did) – she had a signature style that informed every aspect of her life – from her keen eye for fashion to her handwriting and how she looked at the world. She loved beautiful things and found beauty in so much around her. She was sensitive and overcame so much in life, yet always looked for a way to laugh with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor as uniquely her as anything else. She loved photos and preserved so many memories of the past in dozens of albums and by recounting stories to her grandchildren, several of whom would visit her during their childhood summers. She was an avid reader, movie-goer and stayed active by walking well into her seventies. She was also very proud to clean a house to the point of passing a white glove test and starching and pressing every last shirt, pant, or even sheets. It’s fair to say she wasn’t a fan of the term “beautiful mess”, and as such, dust and wrinkles did not stand a chance against Delma. She did however love nature, especially summer – a sunny day on a patio, a colorful flower, a warm beach, whenever she could find one. The world will always seem a little less beautiful without Delma in it, but in every beautiful thing still left and yet to come, a bit of her spirit will always remain for those who loved her most. Arrangements by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, Raleigh