22 • The Beacon May 29, 2025

Congratulations Happy Retirement Mark and Nancy

Happy retirement to Mark and Nancy Fortune

In May 2008, The Beacon first rolled off the presses. Mark Fortune had a dream to shine a positive light on Coshocton County, and he did that for years with the support of his family, staff and the community.

In 2020 the business was sold to Alo- Novus to make sure it continued when he decided to retire. That time has now come for Mark and his wife Nancy, who later joined the staff.

Thank you Mark and Nancy Fortune for your years of dedication to The Beacon and community. You made an impact on your fellow co-workers both past and present. We hope you enjoy reading their kind words. Cheers to your last paper and your retirement!

The famous Orange Cookies

Thirteen years ago, I decided I wanted to come home. When I made that decision, I didn’ t expect to find a second family. I wasn’ t thinking about how much the love and support of co-workers during difficult times would mean. I also didn’ t realize the lessons I would learn and how important the people who gave me a chance would come to mean to me.

Those people who allowed me to come home are Mark and Nancy Fortune. When Mark advertised his editor position, I honestly didn’ t think I would have a chance in heck to land the job. I was surprised, relieved and grateful when he offered me the position. I never thought of myself as leader material, but with work, time and patience, I made it. Now don’ t get me wrong: There were times we probably butted heads, but isn’ t that the case in any family? I loved Mark’ s approach to positive news. Getting to celebrate the good and leave the sad stories to others was a dream come

Josie Sellers

Beacon founders Mark and Nancy Fortune have officially retired from the business.

Sellers is thankful for 13 wonderful years with you

true for me.

I learned years ago to treat customers with the utmost respect, but Mark helped me fine tune it. We all answered the phone the same way and were sure to say the company name and ours. There was no questioning who people called. Customers were greeted when they walked in our office. There was no wondering if you were noticed. We welcomed you and let you know we’ d be with you as soon as possible. There was no saying,“ That’ s not my job.” We were a team, and we all played an important role in bringing The Beacon to our customers each week.

More important than the work lessons though were the life moments we shared. We cried. We laughed. We celebrated. When my dad died in 2019, I tried to go to work. It was production day after all. As quickly as I walked into the office, I was ushered back out. The paper would work itself out. I was told spending time with my

Medley loved being part of your journey

Where do I start? Let me start with saying congratulations on your well-deserved retirement! Our journey started over 25 years ago when you hired me at the Coshocton County Advertiser and then the Coshocton County Beacon.

Your dedication and hard work over the years have been truly inspiring to me. I told you in a text regarding your announcement of retiring that this makes me cry happy tears( sad ones too). I am so proud of the both of you. I could not imagine my life without the two of you. I credit a lot of my success to the both of you. You both have had an amazing impact on me. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey. Even though I couldn’ t be a part of the full journey, I am blessed to be a part of some of it.

Not only were you my boss, but also you were an extra set of parents to me. Working for you was not work, rather it was learning, growing and having fun, all while getting paid.

Leaving was one of the hardest things I had ever done. It was like going off to college, knowing you were a phone call away but also knowing I wouldn’ t see you every day.

Enjoy every moment of your retirement. You’ ve earned it! May this new chapter bring you joy, relaxation and fulfillment.”

Nicole Medley family was more important. I had surprise baby showers for both my girls. When my husband died unexpectedly in 2023, they were on the top of my list of people to call.

Help, advice and assistance was offered for many of life’ s situations. Mark and Nancy were not just employers; they were family. Many times over the years, I turned to Mark for car advice, and Nancy became Momma Nancy. She got on me about not wearing a coat as much as my own mother. The list of memories and ways they helped is endless. I am blessed to have spent so much time with them over the years and proud to call them my work parents.

I will miss seeing you guys every day. Enjoy some rest, relaxation, fun and, most of all, more time with your children and grandchildren.

Thank you for all you’ ve done for me and this community!