John Fulton, Sr. was widely regarded as a great man and really good guy. Patient, empathetic and generous to a fault, he was loved by his family and friends. He grew up in Huntington, stayed to raise his family and ran an incredibly successful business out of a building in the village.
A member of Huntington High School’s Class of 1973, Mr. Fulton was proud of his long and fruitful association with his alma mater. He sent his own children through the school and was often seen in the crowd at events across the district. When he lost his battle with multiple myeloma on August 27, 2009 at 55 years old, it was a terrible blow to his family and friends.
Huntington Class of 2020 member Marissa Stafford has won the John Fulton, Sr. Scholarship Award.
Mr. Fulton owned and operated the Huntington Pennysaver Group. As a successful businessman, he was in a position to help others in need and he never hesitated to do just that whenever he could, usually staying under the radar and preferring that no one even knew what he had done.
The John F. Fulton Foundation was created by the Fulton family to perpetuate the memory and values of a very special man who believed that young people and the schools they attend play an integral role in every community.
This year’s $250 Fulton scholarship was presented to Marissa Stafford, one of the most outstanding and accomplished members of Huntington High School’s Class of 2020.
The teenager has been recruited by Cornell University to play on its women’s lacrosse team. She plans to study communications at the school. She was a member of Huntington High School’s English Honor Society and Math Honor Society.
“I was pleasantly surprised receiving this award and I am extremely honored,” Ms. Stafford said. “I thank the Fulton’s and Huntington athletics so much for recognizing me. I couldn’t be happier. My plan for the summer is to train for college lacrosse and spend as much time with my friends and family as possible before I leave.”
An Advanced Placement Scholar with Honor, Ms. Stafford said she owes her success to “great teachers, who have made learning enjoyable.” She has always enjoyed coming to school each day and being challenged in classrooms across all academic disciplines.
A key player on the Blue Devil lacrosse and soccer teams, Ms. Stafford won a varsity athletic letter last winter with Huntington’s indoor track and field team.
“My father believed in education, first and foremost,” John Fulton, Jr. said. “He stressed that education stayed with a person for their entire life. He also admired Huntington’s athletes and rarely missed a game when his three children were on Blue Devil teams. It didn’t matter where the game was, what time it was scheduled for or what the weather was like. He was there.”
John Fulton, Sr. Scholarship Award Recipients
2012 Daniel Plant
2013 John Mallouk
2014 Christian Jamison
2015 Justin Weigold
2016 Taylor Moreno
2017 Ryan Stieve
2018 Clayton Jamison
2019 Paige Lennon
2020 Marissa Stafford
