Obituary of Diane Fulton

Our beloved Diane Elaine Fulton was born in Philadelphia, PA to the late Benjamin and Pearl Drake on December 26, 1955. She grew up in Philadelphia with her parents and four siblings and graduated from Bartram High School. Diane obtained her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Her spiritual journey was of utmost importance. Diane came to love the Lord in her twenties.  For five years, she served as a deaconess at the Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Camden, NJ and has been an active member of the Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, NJ for the last 15 years.

Diane was born with a heart that loved to give and nurture others.  Early in her career, she was a social worker with the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency. She often worked the toughest cases serving children in the city of Camden, NJ. Ultimately, her love for children and passion for education led her to become a teacher in the Camden City schools where she remained for the rest of her career.

Her spirit of selflessness was also demonstrated at home. She was the backbone of her family and was jokingly referred to as the “glue.” She wore many hats: family counselor, confidant, spiritual guide and director/accountant for their many family businesses. Diane and her husband were entrepreneurs and started their first business, Kine’s Corner, a corner store in North Camden in 1978. Over the years, they acquired two laundromats, a barbershop and several rental properties. 

Diane met the love of her life, Kine Fulton, in 1974. The 1979 hit “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” was the couple’s song and motto for life.  They married in 1980 and moved to New Jersey, enjoying 38 years together. They were completely devoted to each other. Mutual adoration and true friendship were the foundation of their marriage. Together, they had one child, Maudess Fulton. Maudess was the apple of Diane’s eye. Diane doted on and cared for her daughter in extraordinary fashion. She was also a mother-like figure to bonus son, Allen Littles. 

Diane loved to travel, especially to beautiful beaches. She planned trips for her family to beaches from Hawaii to St. Martins. However, her favorite beach was Ormond Beach, where she and Kine lived for several months out of the year in their retirement. She also loved to collect black artwork and attend jazz concerts and black theater festivals.

Without question, Diane’s legacy will be that of a fighter. For 14 years she battled Lupus, and ultimately succumbed to her battle with Cancer. Despite these challenging circumstances, she never complained or took a day off from managing her household. She remained steadfast in her faith in the Lord and radiated positivity to the very end.

Diane will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and loved her. She leaves to cherish fond memories her husband, Kine Fulton, daughter, Maudess Fulton, bonus son, Allen Littles, bonus grandson, Allen “Dee” Littles, two brothers, Stephen Drake and Anthony Drake, two sisters, Beverly Avinger and Eugenia Drake and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.