Donald Eugene Burton

Donald Eugene Burton, known to family and friends as “Don,” or “Fuzzy,” or “Fuz,” was born on April 19, 1971, in Knob Noster, Missouri. From that day on, the world would be changed forever in the best of ways.

Fuz moved to southern Ohio as a young child and wanted to be an octopus when he grew up. He graduated from South Webster High School in 1989, and following graduation, Fuz married Lori Easter, worked for a brief time at Mitchellace, Inc., a shoelace factory in Portsmouth, Ohio, then joined the United States Air Force. He proudly served from 1990-1996 and was a Gulf War Veteran. Fuz received the Meritorious Service Medal for his quick thinking and heroic actions to keep satellite communications up and running during wartime as a flood threatened to wipe out crucial communications equipment.

After his time in the Air Force, Fuz and his three children, Isaac, Sarah and Maddy, returned to Southern Ohio, where he began working as an early childhood teacher at Kids World Daycare. It was during this time that he met Merideth, his future wife, also an early childhood educator.

In 2002, Fuz and Merideth began to make a life together in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, DC. Fuz began work in the hospitality industry, working as a manager at the Tournament Players Club at Avenel, in Potomac, Maryland.

Fuz and Merideth wed on June 5, 2005, in a beautiful rose garden in Warrenton, Virginia. After honeymooning in Ocean City, Maryland, their home away from home, they moved first to Loveland, Ohio, then shortly thereafter to Mason, Ohio.

Fuz began work at the Tournament Players Club at River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio. Over the next 13 years, Fuz would go on to manage restaurants in Mason, Ohio - Buffalo Wild Wings, Lucky Dog Grille, and James’ Third Base. Fuz was a people person in every sense of the phrase. His charisma, charm, empathy and razor-sharp wit were skills that endeared him to so many he worked with during his restaurant days.

Following his heart, as he was known to do, Fuz received his Certified Dietary Management certification in 2018 from Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, and began working at The Laurels of Middletown, lovingly supporting the residents in this assisted living facility. Again, his warmth and his humor made him a perfect fit for this role.

In late 2019, Fuz began work as a chef at Basil’s on Market in Mason, Ohio and continued there until the restaurant was forced to close its doors during the global Covid pandemic in March of 2020. He moved on to hold restaurant managing positions at Ramsey’s Trailside in Loveland, Ohio and Broadway Barrel House in Lebanon, Ohio.

In June of 2024, he took a position working as an associate for Whole Foods Market in Mason, Ohio, and continued to work there until his cancer diagnosis in December of that same year.

When Fuz received his diagnosis, he was given a prognosis of a couple of months. He went on to fiercely rail against stage 4 cancer, and as he had always done, to live life to the fullest, over the last 10 months of his life.

He had one more Christmas with his family.

He saw Lily turn 13.

He celebrated his 54th birthday.

He was loved and supported at a beautiful fundraising benefit his friends organized in his honor.

He was there when Jack graduated high school and went off to college.

He snuck away to a cabin in Hocking Hills, Ohio to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary with Merideth.

He went to the beach and got to swim in the ocean that he loved so much one last time.

He shared love and laughter with his family in North Carolina.

He dug the music of Son Volt and George Thoroughgood at their concerts.

He laughed at the comedy shows of Damon Wayans, Christopher Titus, Josh Wolf, and John Waters.

He rode roller coasters at Cedar Point, went to dozens of movies, geeked out on all the science at COSI, got to visit the animals he loved and respected so much at the Cincinnati and Columbus Zoos, and was surrounded by inspiring art at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Monet Immersive Experience.

All the while, he created breathtaking art of his own through his painting, drawing and music.

And his most cherished moment - all 5 of his children reunited at his bedside just hours before he passed away, quite literally surrounding him with their love and their laughter.

Fuz Burton transitioned peacefully at home to the next part of his journey on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 7:50 in the evening, the exact time the broken clock on the wall above his recliner had read for months.

He is survived by his loving wife Merideth, his children Mathew Isaac, Sarah Abigail, Madeline Grace, Jackson Wayne and Lily Anne Marie, his siblings Dawn Messer (Chuck), Fawn Waller (Jim), and Danny Burton (Linda), his nephews Matthew Messer (Shannon) and Jason Messer (Sherri), his nieces Sarah Verne (Jeffrey), Michelle Colbert and Jennifer Drake (Nick), his great-nephews Alex, Lucas, Liam, Aiden and Lucas, his great-nieces Amber, Meghan, Mackenzie, Hannah, Charlotte, and Brynlee, and his great-great-niece Scarlett.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 3-6 pm at the Jones Pavilion in Armco Park, 1223 North State Route 741, Lebanon, Ohio 45036.

Fuz was a storyteller who loved a good laugh. Attendees of this event are encouraged to share their favorite Fuz stories, either by writing them in a note that the family will take home, or by telling the story at the event.