It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved father, Ronald R. Fullerton, who left us on November 3, 2024 at the age of 80. A lifelong Texan, 30-year Eastern Shore pastor, and resident during his final days at Springs Ranch Memory Care in Colorado, Pastor Ron was larger than life everywhere he lived. He was a man full of faith in the goodness of God, a beloved storyteller and a firm foundation for all those who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Kristine Foltz-Fullerton; his daughters, Deborah Breda, Shelly Smith and Karen Young and their families; his brothers, Steve Fullerton, Brent Fullerton and Craig Fullerton and their families. We will continue honoring his life by devoting our lives to God and to the service of others, and always having a laugh to share.
A memorial service is scheduled for November 26th at 2pm at the Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel in Colorado Springs, CO with a Celebration of Life to follow at Banning Lewis Ranch, 6236 Melvick Point, Colorado Springs, CO 80927.
In lieu of flowers, please leave us a note below or make a donation to a non-profit senior organization in your area.
Bonnie Hill
15 Nov 2024My pastor, my friend. God sent him from Texas to build a spirit filled church in my neighborhood. He settled on property that was owned by our family. He taught me my authority as a believer and under his ministry I received the Holy Spirit. I loved him and I will miss him. He has received his reward and has heard from his savior “ welcome home my good and faithful servant!”
Helene
16 Nov 2024There will never be another he was one of a kind and I am proud to have called him pastor teacher(rabbi) and friend. You can’t think of him without smiling. Truly the best times in my life were during my years at Cornerstone under his leadership. You finished the race pastor…well done…I loved you and love your family…you will be missed❤️
Deborah & John Breda
16 Nov 2024Thank you, Dad, and Pastor, and friend! You taught this daughter that Jesus had a sense of humor judging by the company he kept for disciples. You taught me that you can never outgive God. You taught me to keep confidences. You demonstrated forgiveness, patience, and a true shepherd’s heart. I will forever be grateful for God giving my mom a second chance at love, and giving me a Dad of my heart! We all benefitted so much from our Rhema years! You helped me have precious step-sisters and step-brothers that I cherish. Blended is beautiful! You were a shepherd that smelled like his sheep because you lived and worked among us and never were too busy to help with anyone’s needs. We love you forever, for always, for eternity! See you beyond the veil! We celebrate you Pop/Dad/Pastor Ron! You’ve not departed, You’ve Arrived! WooHoo!
Donna Haney. ( Richard and Louise Hearn)
16 Nov 2024Pastor Ron was a blessing to our family for many years as our pastor in DE. We had many wonderful services with the Spirit of God moving. He will be greatly missed but is in his eternal home now with loved ones around the throne of God.
Rich Hughes
16 Nov 2024Sorry for your loss. I feel the loss as well. There are in life just a few of those special friends that words really can’t describe the qualities you see in that person. Ron was one for me. A true gentleman who graciously stood up for what was right. A good joke was always in order. And a helping hand was his MO. Will miss Ron. A good one.
Lori Mizzell
16 Nov 2024I will remember Uncle Ron as THE one my Aunt Joy fell in love with. I will be forever grateful for all he did for her and giving her so much happiness. He unselfishly moved to be near cousin Deb and they all thrived. Ministering and believing. He has left a beautiful example and was a lot of fun!
Patricia Harris
16 Nov 2024I knew Ron as beloved dad to my university roommate Deb. Originally visiting in Texas, Ron taught me important life skills like crabbing in the Gulf of Mexico . . . and more importantly, getting the meat out of them :-). Later, in Tulsa during his Rhema years, the family home was always open to young people like myself, seeking support in our faith journey. As a friend of Deb’s, I was always welcome, and treated like a daughter.
Ron was always gentle of heart and fierce in faith. The world needs more Rons.
My condolences to the family as you grieve your loss, but equally confident in the joy his Risen Savior can bring.
Dan & Judy Gross Houston, Texas
16 Nov 2024Sorry for your loss. Heaven is sounding sweeter all the time.
Algie Holmes
19 Nov 2024I was at the wedding of Ron and my Aunt Joyce. I had never seen her happier. He brought so much joy to her and my cousin Debbie. I am thankful for his dedication to his family and to God. Rest in Heavenly peace, Uncle Ron.
Mary Lipsett
20 Nov 2024What a great man of God.He taught me who I was in Jesus and the authority I have in His name.Changed my life for the better. Love and prayers
Bobby Guthrie
20 Nov 2024Wish I could have been closer to visit with uncle Ron and aunt Joyce it was always fun to be with them They both will be missed
Beth Breda
26 Nov 2024My heartfelt condolences to Ron’s entire family. Ron and Joy were Jesus with skin on to me. They prayed me into the Kingdom, loved me, discipled me and modeled what living for Christ looked like. I will treasure the many memories made over the years, and Iook forward to being together again on streets of gold. Thank you, Ron!
Gay Turner
26 Nov 2024
November 26, 2024
Dearest Deb and Fullerton Family,
I am sending this to you, Deb to share with the others because I know you have the list of names. Thank you so much.
As Rick and I process Ron’s arrival in heaven, I regret that we are not with you physically for the celebration of his life. I hope to have a do-over with each of you soon, just to hug you, talk to you, and love him together with you. Know that Rick and I continue to surround you in prayer and with our love. You are such a part of our lives, and have been for decades and generations. Your family has been one of the tent poles that held our family’s tabernacle together in our journey. Covenant friends. Beyond human friendship. Divinely enabled to be that part of Jesus that we need at any given time.
Ron, and each of you, taught us how to love. Like the old Carmen song says, “You can’t teach what you don’t know, and you can’t lead where you won’t go.” Ron knew how to love, and by his example, and yours, we got to learn.
Ron spelled love T-I-M-E. He understood its value. He knew it didn’t matter what he was doing and where, but who was there with him. What mattered to him was the people in whom he invested his time. I know that he was very gratified to see the return on investment when he made his abundant entrance to Heaven. And it’s about time that he is enjoying those investments. Can you imagine the strangers coming up to him and saying, “ Hello, Ron! I just want you to know I am here because of you!”
Although I really loved his teaching from the pulpit, especially when he did one of those “do the math” lessons, he did some of his best pastoring and teaching one-on-one. He might be pushing me in a tree swing that he built in Texas, shooting pistols at targets or hanging a Texas flag in Delaware. Every moment in his life was an opportunity to break the bread of The Word with God’s children.
Ron had a kind of spiritual radar that was phenomenal. Seriously, any time some kind of chaos broke loose in our family, ministry, or business the phone would ring and I’d hear, “What’s going on, Kiddo?” Almost invariably we would be spoon-fed a sermon that was suitable for thousands. High-quality living H2O. Real-time intelligence for that moment. And just what the Great Physician ordered.
When I first met Ron and Joy in 1981, it was at Believer’s Outreach. I had been raised Presbyterian and had been baptized in the Holy Spirit for less than a year. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I had a voracious appetite for God’s Word. I was immediately gifted with a very strong word of wisdom and word of knowledge. I knew things about people and the Word that I had no way to know in the natural. I would weep anytime I prayed for someone or they prayed for me and I heard Holy Spirit tell me things about myself and others. Ahh, but the fruit in my life was very, very green. I remember Ron saying at my ordination that I was one of those folks who should have been locked up for two years after I got the Holy Ghost just so I didn’t hurt myself or someone else. Ron was one of the people God used to guide me and teach me God’s Word. Through his teaching, the gifts and fruit began to come into balance, and my zeal started to be tempered with wisdom and I became more skillful in The Word. I learned from the best.
When Ron and Joy went to Rhema we initially sowed $200 into their education. It was a lot of money for us at the time. After they got there, they became my first real prayer assignment. I remember running up a few hundred dollars in long distance bills praying with them on the phone. I would call them every week and tell them whatever God gave me for them. In that process, I developed an understanding about how to function as a prophetic intercessor without having to be over-exposed in my years of growth. It was truly a special time.
God considered their ministry very good ground for sowing. When He told me I would be going back to school I asked Him how much money to began to set aside for my graduate degree and very quickly The Lord said, “Your education is paid for. The money you sowed into Ron and Joy’s education has yielded that harvest.” Sure enough, in an odd combination of scholarships and gifts, my education was 100% covered.
When Ron preached my ordination, he built the sermon around the fact that if you are faithful in the small things, God will set you as ruler over big things. He called me faithful. In my best Ron Fullerton vernacular I say, “Takes one to know one, Pastor!”
Yes, his life was special to us and many others. And we found meaning in his death, as well. He went home on November 3, which happened to be our 44th wedding anniversary and the anniversary of our baptism in the Holy Spirit. See, at our wedding there was a salvation, a miracle healing, a deliverance from demonic possession, and three baptisms in the Holy Spirit. And God handed us over to Ron for one of his first pastoring assignments. Bless his heart.
I was honored to officiate at Joy’s celebration of life. We released her to heaven and went on to observe her artwork in the skies at the cemetery, and at Wes and Morgan’s and Elise and Scott’s weddings.
Once again, I was honored to officiate at Ron and Kris’s wedding. Little did I know that it was her commissioning to walk him home. Thank you, Kris. I know Ron chose you. And I know God chose you for that part. And KE, only you could have wrapped the whole thing up like you did. I am sorry I didn’t talk to you more during the process, but I believe we both will have that opportunity soon.
I was going to write a separate piece for the Shrine of Remembrance page, but I really want people to know how good and pleasant it is to be in Covenant with people here on earth. It has been such an opportunity to experience a taste of the Kingdom of God here and now. Thank you, family, for sharing Ron and his ministry with all of us. May God multiply that sacrifice back to you over and over. I am looking forward to Ron’s classes in heaven. Imagine who he is tag-team preaching with now!
Love, Gay
Jaye Polk
27 Nov 2024A great man of God. I loved the time of fellowship we had together. A cooking legend. I loved his beans. He would hook them up. You will be missed my brother, my friend.