David Aaron Fullerton MD

David Aaron Fullerton, 72, passed away peacefully at home on December 15, 2024. He was born in Texas City, Texas, to Charles and Peggy Callahan Fullerton. His family moved to Chesterfield, Missouri, when he was in elementary school. Dave attended Parkway Central High School and headed back to Texas for college, graduating from Southern Methodist University, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He graduated as valedictorian from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in 1981.

Dave completed his general surgery residency at the University of Washington and subsequently his cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He stayed on staff at Colorado for six years, during which time he started the pediatric heart transplant program with Dr. David Campbell and re-started the lung transplant program with Dr. Frederick Grover.

In 1996, he went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where he served as the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. In 2003, he was recruited back to the University of Colorado to serve as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery. He remained on staff until his retirement in June 2024.

Dave was active in many professional organizations. He served as President of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association from 2008-09 and as president of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons from 2014-15. In addition, he served for three years on the Council of the European Association of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. He dedicated much of his professional career to the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons, serving as a director for six years and then as the Executive Director from 2016-2023. Dave loved to travel to Nepal with his University Hospital peers to operate in Katmandu and Pokhara.

Dave met his wife, Christine Farrington, in high school when they worked at Six Flags Over Mid-America the year the park opened in 1971. They were married at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, under The Gateway Arch in 1978. Besides his wife, Dave is survived by his sons, Patrick (Shana-Kay) and Daniel (Morgan), five grandchildren, Willow, Benji, Charlie, Xander and Noah, and two brothers, Bob and Paul. He has an extensive family of in-laws and nieces and nephews who will miss him dearly.

Dave will be remembered for his calm demeanor, dry sense of humor, commitment to education, and mentorship of hundreds of medical students, residents and colleagues. He was a die-hard fan of the Colorado Buffs and shared that passion with his parents who were CU graduates. Dave was an avid reader of history and was a copious note taker when visiting art museums. Most weekends in the spring and summer he biked the Cherry Creek bike path. He delighted in his Australian Shepherds: Boomerang, Matilda and Wallie.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kathleen Osterholt.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Polycystic Kidney Foundation (www.pkdcure.org).

A Celebration of Life will be held next June.