January 25, 1944 – December 29, 2004
Daniel J. Fullerton, owner and President of Fullerton Funeral Home, Inc. in Baldwin died unexpectedly on December 29th, after a brief illness. He was 60. Dan lived his entire life in the same Baldwin home, and was the 3rd generation of Fullertons to carry on the landmark family business.
Dan was married to Barbara and they were childhood friends. She was truly the love of his life. He liked to refer to her as his ‘bride’ and often joked that besides being married, they could even work together. They had their “date night” every Saturday for 32 years. Although they had many separate interests, they truly enjoyed being together, especially on their frequent mini-vacations.
Anyone who had a conversation with Dan soon knew he had 3 daughters. He was so proud of Jennifer, Joanne, and Kristin. They were truly Daddy’s little girls. He liked to spoil them, tease them and love them with all he had.
Dan never had sons until Jennifer’s husband Matt became part of the family. Dan and Matt became very close and had that father-son type of relationship. They enjoyed camping, hanging out drinking a couple of beers and especially hunting. Dan also had a close relationship with Marty, his daughter Kristin’s husband who quickly became part of the family.
Dan Fullerton has had a shadow, his grandson Tommy. “Pop-pop” and Tommy ran errands together, went fishing together, took naps together and played everyday. Pop Pop was Tommy’s best friend. His brother Jimmy was devoted to Dan as well, always running around and being chased by Dan.
An active participant in the Baldwin Community, Dan was a member and Ex-Captain of Hose Co. #1 and former Dept. Secretary of the Baldwin Fire Dept. The Fire Dept. was a very important part of Dan’s life and they honored him with full Departmental honors and burial. Members of his Company formed an honor guard at the funeral home throughout the two-day visitation sessions. A huge contingent of uniformed firefighters from Baldwin and surrounding communities filed into the funeral home on Sunday evening to say “goodbye” to one of their own. The morning of his funeral, fire trucks from several towns lined up on both sides of the street in front of the firehouses along Grand Avenue, as well as in front of St. Christopher’s Church, where the mournful sounds of bagpipes filled the air. At each location, ladders were extended to form an “arch” with a huge American flag draped between them at the top. The large funeral procession passed under these “arches” on the way to the church and cemetery. After a Mass of Christian Burial, the cortege proceeded to the home of Hose Co. #1. All vehicles stopped. Members of the Company stood at attention in front to pay their final respects to a dear member and friend. Nearby shopkeepers and residents joined them. Dan’s boots and helmet were displayed in a place of honor. The fire bell tolled in a slow, solemn rhythm. The whistle blew. A beloved brother was gone.
Dan was also a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus, Daniel J. Bradley Council. Members honored him in a special service at the visitation on Saturday night and presented his wife Barbara with his ceremonial sword.
St. Christopher’s Church was a large part of Dan’s life, too. He attended St. Christopher’s school, and many important milestones in his life involved the Church- First Communion, Confirmation, and his marriage to Barbara. The couple could always be found at the eleven o’clock Mass on Sundays where Dan was an usher for many years. Since the first year it started he could be counted upon to cook and serve his great chili each year at the annual St. Christopher’s Church Feast.
Dan’s many friends were a mirror of his goodness. He had friends of all ages and from all walks of life. There were hunting, bowling, card-playing, and “Barbara & Dan” friends. He liked people- and they liked him, too. Dan livened up many gatherings with his wonderful sense of humor.
Over 1,000 mourners passed through the Fullerton Funeral Home to pay their respects to Dan and his family. Besides friends and family, many members of the community came to say “farewell” to the man whose integrity and compassion touched their lives when they went through life’s most difficult times. They told a myriad of stories about Dan and how he helped and comforted them and their families.
Dan Fullerton will be greatly missed by his wife, daughters, son-in-laws, grandsons, 3 sisters, numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends, who loved him dearly. They are comforted by Dan’s own words when he recently told them that he felt blessed to have had a full, happy life with a loving family and cherished friends.
The Baldwin Community paid a wonderful tribute to this modest, unassuming man, who touched thousands of lives and left a lasting imprint on their hearts. They gave him a send-off fit for dignitaries. Ironically, Dan would be the last person to believe he was that important, but, of course, to those who knew him, he was.
