Obituary

Lance Richard Fuller

February 17, 1964 - February 11, 2022

Lance Richard Fuller, died February 11, 2022 in Lincoln, Nebraska at the age of 57. Lance was born February 17, 1964 to Larry and Mary (Leitner) Fuller in Hastings, Nebraska. He graduated from Superior High School in 1982 and Kearney State College (University of Nebraska at Kearney) in 1987.

Lance married Joanie Paloucek in 1988. They are the parents of two children: Lanny and Alli. And they are the grandparents of Audra.

After graduating from college, Lance went on to earn his Master’s Degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha while teaching math at Bellevue East High School. In 1993, Lance and family moved to Kearney, Nebraska, where Lance continued to teach math at Kearney High School and went on to become the Assistant Principal of Kearney High School, the Principal of Sunrise Middle School, and the Director of Human Resources for Kearney Public Schools. He retired in 2020 and he and Joanie moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, to be in the same town as their granddaughter, Audra.

Lance loved teaching. And conversely, loved discovering lessons in life’s simplest pleasures: having a bourbon with friends, making a cashier laugh, driving around town, going for a bike ride, contributing to a group-text thread. He was fiercely aware of others. And couldn’t help but try to make everyone around him happy. Family, friends, and strangers—he made every genre of gathering better.

His greatest joy in life was being a husband. Until he was a father. Until he was a grandfather.

He was preceded in death by his father, Larry; and father-in-law, Frank Paloucek.

He is survived by his wife, Joanie; children, Alli and Kevin Koester and Lanny Fuller and Kaitlyn Wellendorff; grandchildren, Audra and her sister joining the family in May; mother, Mary; sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Joe Price; and many other in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends.

In keeping with Lance’s wishes, his remains were cremated. Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on his 58th birthday, February 17, 2022 at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive (40th and Yankee Hill), Lincoln, Nebraska.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family with future designation to the Lance Fuller FuNuR Scholarship in Superior, Nebraska.

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Services

February17

Funeral Service

Roper & Sons South Chapel

3950 Hohensee Drive (40th & Yankee Hill)
Lincoln, NE 68516

(402) 261-5907

Share a Memory or Condolence

March 29, 2022

Mocheck

– Rob Barie
March 8, 2022

Mr Fuller was my math teacher at Bellevue East in 1989-1990. He was right out of school and we really felt we related to him. My condolences for your loss.

– Edward Leber
February 24, 2022

My wife Debbie and I really enjoyed getting to know Lance at Pickleball at Speedway. He was so friendly and such a people person. Once I told him about our upcoming family tradition of competing in a family food challenge. This year our theme was school lunches. At least twice Lance asked me about that. He was so excited and wanted to try it with his own family so maybe that would be a fun tribute for you guys to do. Other themes we’ve had are pizza, soups, hors d’oeuvres and fast food. Certainly we are sorry for your loss.

– Dennis Burkle
February 22, 2022

Joanie and Family, I’m so sorry to hear of your loss. May God give you comfort and peace during this time.

– Barb Friskopp
February 22, 2022

Joanie, Alli and Lanny. We were so sadden to hear about Lance’s passing. He was truly a classy person. He was a great math teacher, principal, and a wonderful person. He was always friendly and never failed to tell a good story. I had total respect for the man. Our deepest sympathy.

– Tom and Regina McCann, KHS faculty
February 19, 2022

Lance was a very special individual. Raymond and I knew him as a young man, watched him and Joanie get married, saw him grow into an educator that everyone loved. Our son Bobby was the “ring bearer” for Joanie and Lances wedding. When Lance and Joanie ended up in Kearney he was actually Bobby’s Assistant Principal at Kearney High School. As I watched the service streamed today my head was filled with memories. My heart aches for all of the family and even though I couldn’t come from Charlotte, NC I was there in spirit and virtual hugs for his mother Mary and Joanie. Lance was truly a DEAR soul.

– Gloria Cox
February 19, 2022

I did not get to meet Lance in person and I know that is a devastating missed connection. I do however know Lance through his son, Lanny and there is nothing sweeter than the love these little buddies shared. Lanny is a rare friend, the kind you meet and immediately think, “I will never be cool enough to be this dude’s friend but hopefully I can just be around him and soak up some of this energy”. In some wonderful and weird way, I got lucky (I say luck because it’s definitely due to any coolness on my part) and Lanny and Kaitlyn have become some of my best friends. In the process of becoming close, we got to know each others’ families. If not through encounter, then through story after story after story. We came to cherish the stories that Lanny told about Lance because they were always funny and always charming and they usually had us shaking our heads in either disbelief, awe, or affection. I know, now, that a lot of the “cool” that comes off of Lanny is confidence, self-love, knowing when to care and when to let it go, fighting for whats right, advocating for peers, taking the time to educate himself on a topic, investing in relationships, saying yes to good wine and expensive soap, and just looking at life through the lens of fun before any of the other lenses. I also know that it was Lance who gave Lanny the space, the permission, and the guidance to figure it all out. Since meeting and hearing those wild stories first hand wasn’t in the cards for us, I will be sending so many thoughts and thanks out in the universe. In my mind, they will reach him while he’s sitting down for a drink on the front porch swing and as he takes the first sip and a sweet Nebraska breeze blows through, he will know that he did good with that little buddy of his.

– With love, Katie Bially and Andy Wright
February 19, 2022

Knowing you, Lanny, I can imagine what a beautiful example you had in your father. I hope you will continue to regale us with story after story, and memory after memory of this man you loved so deeply. I know he was a proud father. I’m grateful he shared you with our family. Much love to you and your family.

– Nancy Wellendorff Church
February 19, 2022

I was the district reading facilitator at Kearney Public Schools when I met Lance at Sunrise Middle School. Lance was the principal there at the time. He always was welcoming and had a big smile on his face. He never seemed rushed and was always willing to listen and share his thoughts. What a great guy! To his family: I am so very sorry for your loss. Lance will be fondly remembered by all those who knew him. My deepest sympathy to all of you!

– Linda Liebig
February 19, 2022

My deepest condolences to the Fuller family. Lance was a colleague. I wasn’t fortunate to see him often but when I did, we could pick up a conversation where we left off. He had so many special gifts, but making people feel valued, appreciated and important was such a special gift. His smile brought life to the room and to my heart. I am sure that his smile lives on in all of you and what a gift that is.

– Lynn Johnson
February 19, 2022

Lance was a very special individual. Raymond and I knew him as a young man, watched him and Joanie get married, saw him grow into an educator that everyone loved. Our son Bobby was the “ring bearer” for Joanie and Lances wedding. When Lance and Joanie ended up in Kearney he was actually Bobby’s Assistant Principal at Kearney High School. As I watched the service streamed today my head was filled with memories. My heart aches for all of the family and even though I couldn’t come from Charlotte, NC I was there in spirit and virtual hugs for his mother Mary and Joanie. Lance was truly a DEAR soul.

– Gloria Cox
February 16, 2022

Lance lived many lives. He went on as many trips as he wanted and could, but he mostly lived in the moment. Being lance, he never failed to make you smile or chuckle. He never let someone leave his side without a memory. Lance was my Uncle, we lived hours away. But he constantly mingled and interacted with me and my family. A found memory I have with him is as this. I was down in his basement and I at the time was fiercely interested in bung holes. Previously over the phone Lance let me in a secret in the Bourbon industry. Lance was always very informative and he seeked information, and always let others know in his new expertise. Now back to the story. In his basement he offered My parents a drink. While he was making them a Bourbon we were just chatting, and then I asked what was on his little tree on his table. Then he explained what it was. Well it was a bunghole, for a Bung. The way he explained it and just Taught you. Was a true gift in himself. When people say he was a great teacher. Well, they don’t even reach the middle of the bung about his teaching skill. He was an amazing teacher, A friend you couldve never known you needed, and a Mind blowingng great Uncle and father to his kids and myself. Words can’t even fathom how much he positively impacted everyone he met. This is my attempt, but it’s not even half of the Meet.

– Andrew Price

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