Fulton Terry, who led the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in Fayette County for almost 24 years, has been selected as the grand marshal of the Washington Court House Christmas Parade.

Terry was born in Fayette County at his family’s home on Harrison Street on July 10, 1934. After living in the community through the sixth grade, he traveled with his mother to Detroit, Mich., when he was younger due to asthma-related health concerns. Terry finished school, met his wife, Bertha, in Detroit and soon they were married and had one child before they moved back to Washington Court House.

Over the span of their many years together, the couple would have four more children, raise five foster children and they currently have 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Terry was educated at the General Motors Institute and at Sinclair Community College. He worked for the General Motors plant in Dayton for 28 years before retiring as a senior safety officer engineer. For 35 years, Terry would serve as a volunteer firefighter for the Washington Court House Fire Department before he retired from that job as well.

Since October of 1993 when he became the director, Terry provided training and equipment for first responders to emergencies. Terry also furnished information to help county residents in times of crisis. Ultimately, his goal was to make Fayette County a safe place where people would want to live. He promoted the philosophy of working together, which is something he has continually done throughout his life.

Terry was a member of the Tri-county Safety Council, has been active in local neighborhood watch programs, was awarded the Fayette County 2006 Hometown Hero Award and was even named the Holiday Parade Honorary Grand Marshal as well as the Record-Herald Citizen of the Year. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club, was inducted into the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging Senior Hall of Fame in 2010 and served as Lt. Governor for Division 10-W of Ohio. Additionally, Terry serves many roles as a member of the First Church of God.

In Terry’s bio for his induction to the Senior Hall of Fame it said, “Character is built slowly over a lifetime, a building block in the foundation of a well-lived life. It is the sum of right decisions, hard work, honest words, noble thoughts, a caring heart and an active faith. Fulton’s well-lived life is built ceaselessly protecting and caring for others.”

Following his retirement in 2017, the position was filled by Melissa Havens.

On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Christmas Parade will start at 3 p.m., following the same route as last year. The parade will line up at Washington High School/Middle School and begin on Elm Street near McDonald’s, turn left onto Columbus Avenue and continue to Court Street, and will end on Circle Avenue.