Zone 175 sadly reports the passing of retired member John R. “Jack” Fultz on Friday, November 12, 2021. John was the uncle of current IBB Vice President John Fultz.
His obituary is as follows:
John R. “Jack” Fultz passed away peacefully on November 12, 2021, at Glenaire Skilled Nursing Center in Cary, NC after recently moving there to be near his daughter Karen and her family. He was 95 years old. Jack was born and lived in Oswego, NY most of his life and up until earlier this year lived independently at his home in Southwest Oswego. Jack transitioned to assisted living at Bishop’s Commons in July and after increasing health problems transferred to St. Luke’s Health Care in September before he moved south with Karen in October. Karen visited Jack every day that he was at Glenaire, bringing him his favorite Starbucks Sumatra coffee, and they both were very happy to have that time together as Jack’s health declined. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to the caring staff members who were attentive to Jack and his needs through these last months.
Jack was born in Oswego, NY on May 12, 1926, to the late John and Mabel (Brady) Fultz. Jack was the middle child, one of nine children in his family, and oh the stories he and his siblings would tell of growing up together! Jack is the last of his generation, as his siblings Genevieve, Joe, Francis, Mary, Jim, Tom, Ted, and Celia all predeceased him.
Jack served in the US Army in World War II and was a proud veteran. He then also briefly served in the National Guard. Jack became a Boilermaker, joining Local Union #175 in Oswego, NY and he worked for 36 years before retiring in 1988. He often talked about how much he had enjoyed that work in construction, contributing to the building of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and buildings at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Jack met his wife, Barbara “Bobbie,” one New Year’s Eve and a little more than a year later they were married. Jack and Bobbie lived most of their married life in Southwest Oswego at their home with the near 40-acres of property and pine trees that Jack enjoyed so much, riding on his orange 1950’s Allis-Chalmers tractor and working on the land. Bobbie passed away in 2013 and since that time Jack has illuminated her picture and missed her daily. Jack was also predeceased by his daughter, Lisa, who tragically died in a car accident in 1984 at the age of 18. Jack’s family is comforted to think of the joy of his reunion with Bobbie and Lisa, and all of his siblings, with his passing.
Jack was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, and he was a long-time parishioner of St. Mary’s Church. He is survived by his devoted daughter and son-in-law Karen and Gene Schulze of Apex, NC, and his granddaughters Stephanie and Angela of Apex, and Christine, of Raleigh, NC. They have many happy memories of the Christmas holidays, snow sledding, going for tractor rides and summer fishing with Grandpa. Jack is also survived by his sisters-in-law Linda Szabo, Theresa Fultz and Olive Fultz, and many dear nieces and nephews, including Gary Fultz and John T. Fultz who especially looked out for and helped Jack in the last year.
Friends and family are invited to call on Monday, November 22, 2021, from 3-7 pm at Nelson Funeral Home, 11 West Albany Street, Oswego, NY. If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 the family respectfully asks you to please wear a mask. A Catholic funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish & Shrine in Oswego, NY on Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at 10 am followed by burial at Oswego Town Rural Cemetery where Military Honors will be rendered.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Jack’s name can be made to either Wounded Warrior Project ( https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate or mail to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516) or to St. Mary of the Assumption Parish & Shrine, 103 West 7th Street, Oswego, NY 13126. To share acknowledgment of donations or personal stories and memories of Jack with his family, please mail to Karen Schulze, 1017 Chimney Hill Drive, Apex, NC 27502. Jack impacted the lives of so many in his 95 years and was an amazing man – he will be deeply missed by all those who knew him.
Jack’s arrangements are under the caring guidance of Nelson Funeral Home.