Man killed in Potomac assisted living home was philanthropist from Maine

As Montgomery County detectives try to solve the mystery of who shot and killed 87-year-old Robert Fuller Jr. at the Cogir of Potomac assisted living facility, community members in Augusta, Maine are in deep mourning.

Valentine’s Day morning, investigators say Fuller was found shot in the facility.

“I think those of us who knew him feel an obligation to speak about him and share with the world some stuff that folks might not otherwise be aware of,” said Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo.

He first met Fuller while working as city manager in Augusta, where Fuller spent much of his life.

He told News4 Fuller was a prominent attorney, a retired Navy reserve officer and even self-published a book.

But Bridgeo says Fuller took extreme pride in his work as a philanthropist and donated millions to bolster the community.

“A new YMCA , a new hospital in town, a big expansion to our high school,” he said.

“He said, ‘I’ll give you a token amount,’ and the token amount ended up being far more than anybody else gave to us,” Owen said.

Fuller’s friends told New4 he moved to Potomac a few years ago with his wife because she has family in the area. When she passed away a couple of years ago, they say Fuller remained there.

“He continued to contribute to local causes even though he was in Maryland,” Joseph Owen, who sits on the board of a historical society in that community, said.

Police are actively investigating the homicide and looking at surveillance cameras outside the Cogir of Potomac, but no arrests have been made yet.

A spokesperson for the company that owns the facility told News4 it is not releasing much to the media.

But News4 obtained a memo sent to residents by the executive director that says, in part, “This was an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to residents or staff. Out of an abundance of caution, we have strengthened our safety measures and brought in additional security presence to provide extra reassurance for our residents and families.”

In the meantime, Bridgeo says he’s planning to honor Fuller in Maine’s state legislature.

“If I can make it to 87 years old and have accomplished a small fraction of what he was able to do in his life, I will feel like I led a full life,” he said.