SUDDEN DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 138, 13 June 1934, Page 15

SUDDEN DEATH.

MR. WALTER FULLER. I MEMBER OP THEATRICAL FIRM. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. Mr. Walter Fuller, eldest son of the late Mr. John Fuller, of Auckland, died suddenly yesterday afternoon. He was drinking afternoon tea at the home of a friend in Oriental Bay when he collapsed. Pie appeared to be in normal health, hut recently had complained of sleeplessness. He was 62 years of age. The head or the Fuller family, the late Mr. John Fuller, of Auckland, first came to Australia and New Zealand with a concert company, and although that company failed, he had such faith in New Zealand that he sent to London for the members of his family, and once here they formed a small combination of their own. Most of them were musical, and could entertain in various ways, and with the engagement of one or two others, they toured the country, visiting even the smallest towns off the beaten track. Mr. Fuller, sen., later instituted a series of popular concerts in Auckland, and made a success of them. Subsequently the family organised waxworks and dramatic entertainments, afterwards organising the negro minstrel and vaudeville business. A chain of theatres was secured in centres of New Zealand, and later Sir Benjamin Fuller planted the family-banner in Australia with the same success. Former Resident in London. When his brother, Mr. John Fuller, went to Australia to assist the larger enterprises there, Mr. Walter Fuller wa3 appointed resident director in New Zealand after having been manager at Dunedin and Christchurch. He wa3 also a director of the New Zealand Picture Supplies, Limited, of Wellington, in which the Fullers had considerable interests. He was also associated with the Fuller-Hayward picture business. In 1925 Mr. Fuller went to London to act for the firm there in connection with the engagement of talent for the many vaudeville theatres then under the Fuller management in New Zealand and Australia. The first big set back to that business was the advent of talking pictures, and when it was seen that vaudeville had had its day, the firm turned its attention to the new form of entertainment, and Mr. Fuller was recalled from London in 1929. Since then he had resided in Wellington practically in retirement. Mr. Fuller held the respect and affection of a large circle of friend, in Wellington. He was a violinist, pianist and organist, but in orchestral work he preferred the viola, and possessed a fine instrument. He also had a magnificent electric organ at his residence. He was a member of the Wellington Symphony Orchestra since its inception, the Royal Choral Union Orchestra and was vicepresident of the Wellington Harmonic Society. He was a deep reader and was one of the best-informed men in Wellington on London, its highways, byways and memorials. Mrs. Fuller died last year. There are two daughters, Misses Jean and June Fuller. His brothers are Sir Benjamin Fuller, now en route from Auckland to San Francisco, Mr. John Fuller, of Sydney, and Mr. Ray Fuller, of Auckland. His sisters are Mrs. Tudor Boddam, of London, Mrs. T. Hamor, of Dunedin, and Mrs. Grubb, of Auckland.