Active 9 years, 9 months ago
1931-2026
Ira A. Fulton
Ira Amond Fulton, 94, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2026. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, businessman, philanthropist, and man of faith, Ira will be remembered above all for his lifelong passion for helping people help themselves. He was inducted into NAC in 2004.
Ira was born on November 12, 1931, in Tempe, Arizona, during the Great Depression; he grew up in an era that instilled in many a deep appreciation for hard work, perseverance, resourcefulness, and looking out for others. Those values remained at the heart of Ira's life. He was the son of David and Mertie Fulton. His Arizona roots ran deep, and throughout his life, he remained closely connected to the people and communities around him.
In 1954, Ira married the love of his life, Mary Lou Fulton. Together they shared a long and meaningful marriage and raised three children: Gregory Wayne Fulton, who preceded them in death; Lorie Ann Fulton; and Douglas Scott Fulton. Mary Lou also preceded Ira in death. Ira was blessed with a large and loving family, including dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His family was a source of tremendous joy and pride, and the lessons, values, and love he shared with them will continue through generations.
A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Ira believed that true success was measured not simply by what a person accomplished for himself, but by what he could do to help others find their own path to success. Helping people help themselves was both his greatest hobby and one of his life's greatest callings. He generously gave his time, resources, encouragement, and opportunities to others, making a lasting difference in countless lives.
Ira was always an entrepreneur even from the early days with a local paper route in Tempe and the ASU campus area. This business developed his superb people skills and provided leadership training for his future work with the National Cash Registry Company. NCR was a leader in developing computers at that time and that lead Ira into information technology and knowledge management areas. Both leadership and IT carried over into his other business endeavors.
He used these skills in starting numerous businesses around the US, and in 1995 he returned home to Arizona as Owner and President of Fulton Homes with his single focus turned on his very successful home building effort. Ira's experience in IT, financial matters, and business propelled Fulton Homes into a leadership role in the residential sector in the southwest. Fulton Homes has been building quality homes in the metro Phoenix area for over 50 years while establishing a company culture of compassion and giving back to community. He was instrumental in making it Arizona's largest privately owned homebuilder with several hundred employees and the largest and one of the most profitable private homebuilders in the country. Ira's company has built over 40,000 homes making it one of Arizona's largest builders. When Ira Fulton started building homes, he didn't want to be one of the biggest, just the best. His tagline was “You’re Proud to Own, We’re Proud to Build.” His company builds homes that are close to schools and shopping in communities that will look great in years to come.
Ira was a dedicated philanthropist and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His commitment to education and to developing future generations was reflected in he and his wife, Mary Lou’s, generous support of education, donating over $300 million to various causes during their lives. The Engineering School at Arizona State University and Engineering College at Brigham Young University bear the Fulton name, serving as enduring reminders of his belief in education, opportunity, and the power of helping others achieve their potential. The Education College at ASU is named for his wife, Mary Lou Fulton. Fulton once estimated that he had given away the equivalent of 60 cents of every dollar he earned in his lifetime. In 2015, he told Deseret News, “I don’t regret one penny of it. The only thing I regret is I can’t give more.”
Those who knew Ira will remember his generosity, genuine care for young people, entrepreneurial spirit, faith, and willingness to lend a hand to someone who needed an opportunity or a second chance. He understood that sometimes the greatest gift one can give another person is not simply doing something for them, but providing the means, encouragement, and confidence to do it for themselves.
Ira is survived by his daughter, Lorie Ann Fulton; his son, Douglas Scott Fulton; his many grandchildren and great- grandchildren; and his extended family, friends, colleagues, and community members whose lives he touched.
His greatest legacy may be found not only in the institutions that bear his name, but also in the generations of people he encouraged, supported, and helped, and whose lives will continue to be influenced by the opportunities he created.
― Edd Gibson, 2026
Ira was born on November 12, 1931, in Tempe, Arizona, during the Great Depression; he grew up in an era that instilled in many a deep appreciation for hard work, perseverance, resourcefulness, and looking out for others. Those values remained at the heart of Ira's life. He was the son of David and Mertie Fulton. His Arizona roots ran deep, and throughout his life, he remained closely connected to the people and communities around him.
In 1954, Ira married the love of his life, Mary Lou Fulton. Together they shared a long and meaningful marriage and raised three children: Gregory Wayne Fulton, who preceded them in death; Lorie Ann Fulton; and Douglas Scott Fulton. Mary Lou also preceded Ira in death. Ira was blessed with a large and loving family, including dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His family was a source of tremendous joy and pride, and the lessons, values, and love he shared with them will continue through generations.
A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Ira believed that true success was measured not simply by what a person accomplished for himself, but by what he could do to help others find their own path to success. Helping people help themselves was both his greatest hobby and one of his life's greatest callings. He generously gave his time, resources, encouragement, and opportunities to others, making a lasting difference in countless lives.
Ira was always an entrepreneur even from the early days with a local paper route in Tempe and the ASU campus area. This business developed his superb people skills and provided leadership training for his future work with the National Cash Registry Company. NCR was a leader in developing computers at that time and that lead Ira into information technology and knowledge management areas. Both leadership and IT carried over into his other business endeavors.
He used these skills in starting numerous businesses around the US, and in 1995 he returned home to Arizona as Owner and President of Fulton Homes with his single focus turned on his very successful home building effort. Ira's experience in IT, financial matters, and business propelled Fulton Homes into a leadership role in the residential sector in the southwest. Fulton Homes has been building quality homes in the metro Phoenix area for over 50 years while establishing a company culture of compassion and giving back to community. He was instrumental in making it Arizona's largest privately owned homebuilder with several hundred employees and the largest and one of the most profitable private homebuilders in the country. Ira's company has built over 40,000 homes making it one of Arizona's largest builders. When Ira Fulton started building homes, he didn't want to be one of the biggest, just the best. His tagline was “You’re Proud to Own, We’re Proud to Build.” His company builds homes that are close to schools and shopping in communities that will look great in years to come.
Ira was a dedicated philanthropist and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His commitment to education and to developing future generations was reflected in he and his wife, Mary Lou’s, generous support of education, donating over $300 million to various causes during their lives. The Engineering School at Arizona State University and Engineering College at Brigham Young University bear the Fulton name, serving as enduring reminders of his belief in education, opportunity, and the power of helping others achieve their potential. The Education College at ASU is named for his wife, Mary Lou Fulton. Fulton once estimated that he had given away the equivalent of 60 cents of every dollar he earned in his lifetime. In 2015, he told Deseret News, “I don’t regret one penny of it. The only thing I regret is I can’t give more.”
Those who knew Ira will remember his generosity, genuine care for young people, entrepreneurial spirit, faith, and willingness to lend a hand to someone who needed an opportunity or a second chance. He understood that sometimes the greatest gift one can give another person is not simply doing something for them, but providing the means, encouragement, and confidence to do it for themselves.
Ira is survived by his daughter, Lorie Ann Fulton; his son, Douglas Scott Fulton; his many grandchildren and great- grandchildren; and his extended family, friends, colleagues, and community members whose lives he touched.
His greatest legacy may be found not only in the institutions that bear his name, but also in the generations of people he encouraged, supported, and helped, and whose lives will continue to be influenced by the opportunities he created.
― Edd Gibson, 2026
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