"Larry Fuller, 83, who spent more than 50 years in journalism across six states, died of natural causes Thursday,  Jan. 23  in his home in Sioux Falls.

Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be from 12:00 – 2:00 pm Sunday, January 26 at Miller Funeral Home Downtown, 507 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD.

A Celebration of Life will be from 4:30 – 7:30 pm Monday at Minnehaha Country Club, 3101 W. 22nd Street, Sioux Falls, SD.

Fuller, who joked that he wore "newspaper jammies" had a lifelong interest in newspapers starting with the Harvard Highlights, which he founded at his junior high school in Toledo, Ohio, continuing as editor of the Trojen Trumpet as Trenton, Mich., High School and then as editor of The Maneater, a student weekly newspaper at the University of Missouri. He received a bachelor in journalism degree at Missouri.

His journalism career continued as a reporter and columnist at the Mason City (IA) Globe-Gazette and then he joined The Minneapolis (MN) Star as a reporter and later city editor. He joined The Star in 1967, shortly after his marriage to Suzanne Hovik, who already was a reporter there.

In 1973, he and his family, which then included daughter, Beth, moved to Owensboro, Ky., where he was executive editor of the Messenger-Inquirer. Son Mike joined the family in 1976. Then, in 1977, the family moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., Suzanne's hometown, where he became executive editor of the Argus Leader and later, in 1978, its publisher.

For a brief period, from 1984 to 1986, he worked on the corporate staff of Gannett, first in charge of Gannett New Media, Gannett's foray into online journalism, and then as director of corporate communications for Gannett and USA TODAY.

He said he missed being a part of a community newspaper and in 1986, the family returned to Sioux Falls where he was publisher and later added duties as a regional vice president with oversight for several newspapers first in the West and then in the Midwest. He was named Publisher of the Year for Gannett in 1989.

He and Suzanne made a big change in 1993 when Fuller became publisher of the Honolulu Advertiser and president of the Hawaii Newspaper Agency. His final newspaper stop was as publisher of the Pacific Business News in Honolulu and its transition from a weekly newspaper to a multimedia operation and business-event producer. He retired after more than 50 years in journalism.

In 2009 they returned to Sioux Falls ("moving from paradise to paradise," he often said) to spend time with family. He enjoyed hunting pheasants (and always said the pheasants were safe if he had a gun in his hands) and fishing in Canada.  For several years he worked part-time in helping small businesses and non-profits with strategic planning.

Fuller was a key part of business leadership in Hawaii and Sioux Falls, working extensively in economic development and community marketing. In Hawaii, he was a member of the state Economic Revitalization Task Force, which worked to solve Hawaii's economic problems. In Sioux Falls, he was one of the founders of Forward Sioux Falls, an organization that helps market the community and develop programs to help address economic issues.

He also served on the boards of Aloha United Way, Child and Family Service and the University of Hawaii Foundation. In Sioux Falls, he served boards of the Sioux Empire United Way, Children's Inn, YMCA, and the South Dakota Newspaper Association. He was currently on the Dow Rummel Village board of directors and St. Patrick's Day Parade committee and was honored to be the parade's Grand Marshal in 2017.  He recently contributed to the Sioux Falls Anthology "City of Hustle".  His chapter about Sioux Falls growth also gave the book its title.

Larry and Suzanne traveled extensively during their marriage, starting with a 90-day adventure in Europe in 1970 with their VW micro-bus camper. During their 57 years of marriage, they visited more than 65 countries.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ken and Marjorie Fuller, brother Don, and brother-in-law Greg Smith. Survivors include Suzanne, daughter Beth (Mark Jensen), Sioux Falls;  son Mike (Krista), Golden Valley, MN;  and grandchildren, Nicholas and Katie Jensen and Sam and Elise Fuller, sisters Jan (Tom Stverak), Carole (Paul Beachamp), sister-in-law Ginger Smith and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Banquet, The Promising Futures Fund, or the charity of your choice.

We were honored to have Larry remembered in these stories from KELOLAND News and The Argus Leader.

https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/remembering-newspaper-publisher-larry-fuller/

https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/local/2025/01/24/former-argus-leader-publisher-larry-fuller-dies-at-age-of-83-gannett/77925566007/