Faces

When Don Fullington retired from MU in October, he left with the best wishes of his co-workers.

Fullington worked in the Missouri Unions — the Memorial Union and Brady Commons — for 22 years. His job as maintenance custodian included making the floors of Memorial Union shine. Now at age 50, health problems have forced him to retire.

“I wanted a job that gave me the money necessary for life, but also I wanted to make things nice for students,” Fullington said.

A retirement party was held for him in early April at Memorial Union. Working all these years in the same buildings and on the same floors has made them a part of his life, and he knows he will miss the job.

“The only thing that separates me from these floors is my pain,” he said, referring to his health.

“I have worked hard here; I have worked like a dog,” Fullington said. But that’s OK, he said, because he did it “for the students.”

He said that with hard work came the satisfaction of doing his job well. He recalled once when he had to clean the whole first floor of Memorial Union, staying overtime because the chancellor was going to be there. Fullington said his reward came the next day when the students and the chancellor noticed the sparkling-clean floors.

Fullington leaves a lot of friends in the Memorial Union. “I gave my heart and soul in this place,” he said.

His colleagues recognize this and describe him as a man “completely dedicated to his job,” said Marie Flatt, associated director of the Missouri Unions.

Talking about his years on the job, Fullington offered this: “The dirtier the floor, the better for me.”