I was truly sorry to hear of Mr. Fulop’s passing. He was a great teacher, mentor and coach, but above all else he was a great person. His great sense of humour, kindness to all and “joi de vivre” certainly made a lasting impression on those of us who had the pleasure of being taught or coached by Mr. Fulop. The enthusiasm and boundless energy that he had in the classroom brought history to life for us. His love of teaching was evident and there is no doubt that Mr. Fulop made a sizeable impact on the lives of those who had the privilege of knowing him. My sincere condolences to the Fulop family.

My sincerest sympathies to Joe’s family. It is truly a massive loss. Joe was a super friend and a fantastic colleague at South Huron and also in retirement. He was a great golfing buddy, even though he always was on the first tee before dawn! I loved his one liners and his sense of humour.

I had the honour of being Joe’s colleague at South Huron for twenty years. He was a hard working teacher and an excellent coach. He will be remembered fondly by dozens of cross country runners and ballplayers and by his many friends and fellow teachers. Rest In peace, Joe.

One of the best! RIP Mr.Fulop
A teacher, a coach, a mentor and a friend.
His laugh and smile were infectious.
He had the ability to teach in a way that captivated the whole class and coach the cross country team with patience, inspiration and support. (the caramels and apples didn’t hurt either 😉)

I feel so grateful to have known Mr. Fulop, he made such a positive impact on me.
Later in life I was lucky enough to enjoy some great conversations with Joe at the restaurant too.
He will be missed.

My condolences to all the family.❤️

Mr. Fulop was very a kind and thoughtful teacher and cross country coach. He was invested in his students and athletes, always built up our confidence, and appreciated our achievements. He was so generous and encouraging. When we went to WOSSA cross – country, Joe bought me my first McDonald’s hamburger, insisted on me enjoying a pop because I ran a lot, and bought me a WOSSA t-shirt from 1998 so I could remember the experience (which I still wear to this day under my hockey equipment). Thank-you, Joe. I hope you are resting in peace.

I consider myself so fortunate to have been coached and mentored by Coach Fulop. I almost missed out as during my 5 years of classes at SHDHS and on numerous sporting venues our paths never really crossed. It wasn’t until baseball season when I got to be coached and mentored by this great person. He was always prepared and made time for all of us. He loved the game and shared his knowledge and experience freely. The message he left his players with was that you can be competitive without being harsh, something that I have tried to transfer to my own coaching and mentoring style. Joe made a difference, not just in me but for countless others and for that I am so grateful. Thanks Joe.

Sending my condolences to the family. Joe was a wonderful human and I’m glad to of been able to know him in his final years. Thanks for being a wonderful friend Joe! Rest in peace.

Joe Fulop meant a lot to crokinole enthusiasts such as myself, and was one of the first stars of the World Crokinole Championship tournament. His determination when playing crokinole was obvious, but he always had a great attitude to never take the game too seriously. This was evidenced when he wrote a book about crokinole and called it “It’s Only Crokinole, But I Like It.”
The effort he put into promoting the game and playing it are well appreciated across the crokinole community, and on behalf of the World Crokinole Championships I want to thank Joe for putting so much into the game.

Frank & Family,
We are so saddened about the passing of Joe . He will always be in our hearts & will be remembered as my kind, caring cousin & neighbor growing up in Walsingham. The tributes say it all – he was loved by everyone he touched.
R.I.P. Joe.

Sorry to hear of Mr. Fulop’s passing. I was very fortunate to have him as a teacher, cross country coach and friend. I will always remember the times together and how great it was to play with a world crokinole champion! Jeff

I am sorry to hear of Joe’s passing and my sincere condolences to his family. Joe was a big part of my life during my high school years. I enjoyed his classes and felt he made such a positive impact. We kept in touch for many years and I remember our conversations so well.. sports, vehicles, horse racing or politics. I am so fortunate to have had such a kind gentleman as a teacher and friend.

My deepest condolences to the Fulop Family and dear friends of Mr. Fulop. I’m so sorry to hear of him passing. He was always smiling when I remember seeing him in the halls at SHDHS. His kindness and humor were always appreciated too. May he rest in peace and may you find some comfort in the memories you have. Sending you warmth and prayers during this time. Sincerely, Artemysia Fragiskatos

I was fortunate to be one of Mr. Fulop’s students at South Huron and played baseball for Joe in the late seventies and early eighties. As many have noted, Joe was a very kind person who cared about his students. He was also a very successful coach, taking many of his teams and students to OFSAA or the Ontario finals and winning on a number of occasions. But it is Joe’s kindness that I remember most. Joe made the world a better place and many of us are very sad to hear about his death. RIP Joe.

My sincere condolences to all Joe’s Family. I have been his support worker for over a year now. I’ve enjoyed doing his shopping and taking him for appointments. We enjoyed our outings & lunches. I will miss him. Cindy Gaetz

My sincere condolences to Mr. Fulop’s family. You will be proud of the many tributes to a gentleman who influenced his students, including me, with his gentle, caring ways. He truly loved what he did and it showed! The picture posted above captures his grin perfectly!! RIP Mr. Fulop ….

I was so sorry to hear of Joe’s passing. He was a cherished colleague at South Huron for many years.
Quiet, but with a great sense of humour, everyone just loved him. He went out of his way to help his students succeed and was always so kind and gentle. He spent his own money on resources to help his students and was a dedicated coach, baseball player and fan as well as a Crokinole Champion.
Rest in Peace, Amigo xoxo

Mr. Fulop, you are always in my heart. Thank you for all the funny wonderful memories I have of you and the girls’ track team. They were the best of times!

My condolences to the family. Like so many others, Mr. Fulop was a major part of my teen years both as a coach and a teacher. I’ve never known a teacher to demonstrate so much genuine enjoyment in mentoring and supporting his students. He sincerely cared. Thank you for the positive impact you had on me Mr. Fulop. You will be missed.

Frank and family,
Deepest condolences to you and your family.
Joe was a quiet humble guy who always had a smile in spite of his physical problems. The tributes are an acknowledgement of the impact he had on so many young lives and speaks volumes for the kind gentle man that he was.
May he Rest In Peace
Marg & John

So sad to hear of Mr Fulop’s passing. He was a wonderful teacher at SHDHS and made a huge impression on many students.

Thankyou Sir , for helping to make us the people we became! Rest in peace!

Joe was a great teacher and a good person. He devoted himself to his students, as a teacher, coach, and friend. He always spoke so fondly of his family. Our deepest condolences to you.

My Deepest Sympathy 🦋

Debbie and I would like to pass on our most sincere condolences to Joe’s family and friends. Joe taught me in high school for a couple years, but that was just the beginning of a lengthy mentorship/friendship. Joe coached me in baseball from the time I was 17 years old until I hurt back when I was 35 years old. I then went on to assist Joe as a coach, which we continued on coaching together in one capacity or another for about another 12 years. Unfortunately that all started to change as Joe’s health started to fail him. Over a 30 year period, Joe and I spent countless hours on baseball fields all over the province. Joe’s baseball knowledge was second to none and I feel so fortunate to have learned from Joe over all of those years. I am happy to say Debbie and I kept in touch with Joe after he left Exeter, I regret not making another trip down to see him this spring. Joe will be missed by all who knew him. Personally, I have lost a dear friend.
RIP Joe.

To the Fulop family,
I had the sincere pleasure of teaching with Mr. Fulop at SHDHS. When I began at the history department in 1998, Mr. Fulop was across the hall from me. I learned so much from his expertise and years of experience. I have many wonderful memories of Joe and I loved his sense of humour. His expertise in the subjects he taught, the sports he coached, and the love of crokinole were evident. Joe was a valued member of the Panthers staff, a wonderful colleague, and a dear friend. He will always be thought of with love and gratitude.

My condolences to Joe’s family and friends There is no doubt that he had many friends.
Joe was one of the good guys.
I had him as a teacher only one year. Grade 9 English. I think that was his first year teaching at South Huron
If he had to teach me more than that one year he and I may not have become the very good friends that we turned out being later in life through baseball and the horse races. 😀
I can honestly say that I have played Crokinole with a World Champion.
I’m proud to call him my friend. He really was a great guy.
So many very fond memories we shared.

Rest In Peace Coach Fulop!

We are sad to hear of the passing of Joe Fulop.
Our condolences to his family and all who knew him.
He touched the lives of so many people.

Our family benefitted greatly from his care and attention.
Mr Fulop coached seven of us over the years.
We all grew up running cross country and playing crokinole.
While we have different memories, we all agree he treated everyone the same, from first to the worst, always patient, more than fair. Everyone was welcome: if you trained, you were on the team. (But you had to train!)

His emphasis on equality created a warm team atmosphere and fostered friendships.

Even though he personified fairness and equality, that didn’t stop Mr. Fulop from being competitive, and he went to great lengths to gain an advantage for his runners. He researched the latest training methods and hunted down the best shoe technology from “Waffles” to the newest spikes.

Caramels and green apples still make us think of him—his reward for runners on the bus ride home. And we remember his wry sense of humour, gentle kindness and distinctive smile.

Some of us still run and still play crokinole. Whether we run or not, we’re winners for having known him. We have his legacy of kindness, dedication, humour, humility, and a love for horse racing (just kidding).

We’re older now, but we haven’t forgotten the joy of running through a muddy creek and the exhilaration of leaving it all out on the trail. That’s what he trained us for—the long run.

Mr. Fulop, OFSAA, WOSSA and Huron Perth champion in our hearts!

George, Agnes, Paul, Lucy, Dorothy, John, Jeanette

Joe was a cherished colleague at SHDHS. A patient and dedicated teacher for many years. His calm manner allowed him to connect with students and support them through their learning and the challenges that they faced. Thank you Joe for all that you did!

To all Joe’s family, he was one of my favourite teachers. I remember especially his kind, gentle manner of teaching. Very knowledgeable. He was a great man. He did everything with heart. He was a teacher who left a positive impact on my life. Proud of his crokinole championships. Heartfelt condolences to his family.

I would like to convey my sympathies to Mr. Fulop’s family. I really enjoyed his classes in high school.

My deepest condolences to the entire family. I was a student of Mr. Fulop and always enjoyed his teaching and good nature. He’ll be very missed.

I was very fortunate to have Joe as a colleague, mentor and friend in my years as a teacher at South Huron. He made such a difference in so many lives. I was grateful to have known such a wise teacher and all around good man. You’ll be missed Joe.

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Joe Fulop. I too was one of his many students at SHDHS and he was one of my favourite teachers. I was proud of his many crokinole championships wins. He put us on the map.

Mr Fulop left an impact on so many students. I for one am one of them. I feel blessed to have been taught and coached by him. You taught me to believe in myself and to never give up. If two words defined Joe Fulop, they are humble & kind. Rest easy in the sweetest peace.

So many wonderful memories of Joe during my time at South Huron and getting to chat with him in town after. Truly a phenomenal human!

Mr. Fulop was a coach I will always remember. I had the good fortune to have him as a cross country and track coach in the 80’s. He always believed in me even when I wasn’t so sure of myself and his kindness and patience will never be forgotten. His smiling face as we got off the bus after a tough race day, with the bag of green apples and Kraft caramels, is a memory I have thought of fondly over the years. Thanks for the sacrifice of your time, your encouraging words and the many happy memories. My condolences to his family and know that he made a difference in the lives of many.

Mr. Fulop was one of my favorite teachers. He taught me in the early 80’s. I enjoyed his jokes. Admired his intelligence. Secretly a friend and I thought he was cute and cuddly. We called him Winnie the Poh and would sing the song.
I recently retired after 30 years teaching, I still think of him with a smile.

Mr Fulop was a special person. I had the privilege of being coached by him for 5 years at SHDHS in the mid 80’s.He truly cared about his students and selflessly gave his time to many.
It is rare that you find a coach who cared as much as he did.
The world was a better place with him in it.
Condolences to Mr. Fulop’s family and friends .
Alice Dietrich

Mr. Fulop was such a kind,funny and inspiring teacher. He definitely left his mark on everyone who knew him. I will fondly remember his smile always and hope he is gracing all the other angels with his presence.

Mr. Fullop was a wonderful teacher and mentor. He could see the greatness in kids long before they could see it themselves.

Mr Fulop was my favourite teacher at SHDHS. He inspired me to pursue further studies in the mental health field because he made those subjects so interesting. He also had such a calm and steady way about him, immediately making me feel safe and welcome in his class. I’m so grateful that I was able to be his student. Condolences to his family as they grieve his loss.

Joe was my friend/big brother for 60 years.

Joe was one of those ‘rare gems’ – quiet and humble yet so impactful ! His , knowledge, skill, compassion, generosity and sense of humor touched many people in his role as a teacher, coach, mentor and friend .Joe was both my teacher and later a teaching colleague who I will always remember. His legacy has and will continue to benefit the lives of so many people in so many positive ways.

Sincere condolences to all who knew and loved Joe Fulop.

I am so sorry to hear of Joe’s passing. He was a lovely, gentle man with a twinkle in his eye. I taught with Joe at South Huron D. H. S. and we shared a connection as my best friend came from Walsingham. Rest in Peace, Joe.

If you have ever worn a pair of Waffles, been tracked in the stats book or inspired by history brought to life then you have had the great gift of being coached, taught and cared for by Mr. Joe Fulop. There are those few rare teachers you remember all of your life. Mr. Fulop you were one – you coached, mentored and taught with deep caring- you were unapologetically yourself, fully available and generous to a fault. You saw each and every one of us for who we were, not just coaching the front runners, but encouraging each to their personal best. Rode in your car, ate pizza in your home, was inspired in your classroom and amused many times by the unexpected viewpoint usually shared with the Joe Fulop grin. Brad Gregus you said it perfectly..He was here…he made a difference…. we remember.

Joe was a wonderful colleague and friend . He was highly regarded as a teacher and as a coach and his legacy will be the hundreds of students that he impacted in a selfless and humble manner for the entirety of his career. Thanks for being a friend Joe!

Joe Fulop came to Exeter in the late ’60’s, and for the next nearly 40 years, wove himself into the fabric of the greater Huron County area, contributing to our culture, our education & our awareness of the larger world around us, always with a self-depreciating and dry humor that that allowed you into his world of soft cynicism of man’s vain efforts. He came to this region, and took our understanding of how to play baseball to the next level (our ‘understanding’….not necessarily our skill level). As Joe would remind us…" I can show you ‘how’ to play the game, but I can’t go out between the white lines and play it for you!" If he hadn’t become so anamored with teaching high school History in the 60’s, Joe could have very masterfully taught sabermatrics to budding baseball statisticians later on. ……And if to each is granted ‘15 minutes of fame’, Joe hoarded to himself years of headline news stories of his prowess on the big-stakes Crokinole circut with his 3-years of global dominance in art of the small button, as stories of come-from-behind wins still dominate conversations around the world from Tavistock to Wellsley to Palmerston. Joe is one of those rare individuals that causes one to stop and reflect on our own purposefulness in life, and if only silently to ourselves, proclaim….“Ya, Joe was here…Joe made a difference”