TEWKSBURY: Masatoshi Fukuda, age 77, a resident of Tewksbury for 49 years, passed away peacefully at home in the care of his loving family on Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
Masatoshi was the beloved husband of Atsuko (Fujita) Fukuda, with whom he recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary on December 3, 2020. He is also survived by three children, Yuko Fukuda of Seattle, WA, Tsuyoshi Fukuda and his wife Jennifer of Swampscott, MA, and Mari Grover and her husband Garth of Norway, ME. Jiji is the proud grandfather to four grandsons, Tyler and Matthew Fukuda and Emmett and Calvin Grover. In addition, he is survived by his brother Toshiya Fukuda and his spouse Keiko and their children and grandchildren.
Masatoshi was born in Tokyo, Japan on December 3, 1943, he was the son of the late Toshio Fukuda and the late Takako (Saito) Fukuda. After narrowly escaping the air raids during WWII and surviving the end of the war, he was able to have a happy and adventurous childhood in post-WWII Japan. In 1958, his father’s accounting firm transferred the family to New York City. They settled in Queens and Masatoshi began his life in the United States at age 14. He attended and graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1962 and put himself through Aldelphi University, graduating in 1966 with a Physics Degree, after his parents had moved back to Japan.
While working in the Japan Pavilion at the 1965 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, NY, Masatoshi met and fell in love with Atsuko, who had come to the United States for the first time to also work at the World’s Fair. After her return to Japan, they stayed in touch with one another over the next two years through many letters and the rare phone call until their marriage on December 3, 1967, on his 24th birthday! They hosted family and friends almost every weekend at their first home in Patchogue, NY and he enjoyed golfing, skiing and driving a little too fast in his silver 1967 Firebird, before starting his family and permanently moving to Tewksbury, MA in 1971.
Prior to his retirement, Masatoshi worked as a Process Engineer for Varian Semiconductor, Draper Labs, MA/Com, AMP and TYCO International. More importantly, he was an amazing husband and father. He passed on so many of his interests to his entire family including his love of travel, golfing, skiing, hiking, fishing, swimming, playing cards, photography, gardening, cooking, bird watching, and numerous other activities. As an un-characteristic hockey dad, Masatoshi traveled thousands of miles across the country to quietly watch hundreds of his kids’ and grandkids’ hockey games, not to mention his attendance at the countless hours of school activities and other athletic endeavors.
His generosity, love of travel, and love of family was unmatched as he and Atsuko took his children and grandchildren on so many wonderful and unforgettable family vacations, including to Japan, Jamaica, Florida, Yellowstone National Park, and most recently to Kauai, Hawaii last July. Masatoshi and Atsuko also traveled together extensively after his retirement and visited almost every National Park in the United States as well as countries on every continent other than Antarctica. Turkey, Croatia, New Zealand and, of course, Japan being a number of his favorite destinations.
Finally, being able to play golf with Atsuko almost daily at the Billerica CC as well as at courses all over the world was one of his greatest sources of happiness. A few of his favorites included Arthur Hills at Boyne Highlands, MI, Cape Kidnappers GC in New Zealand, and many more in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Masatoshi will be missed by all who knew him.
Family and friends are invited to attend his calling hours on Monday, December 14, from 12-2 p.m. at the Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street, Tewksbury (Masks/face coverings and social distancing required). The family hopes to gather this spring or summer to celebrate Masatoshi’s life when circumstances allow. In lieu of flowers, donations honoring his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society at cancer.org.