Fu-Tin Man (1939 – 2025)

Fu-Tin Man passed away peacefully at home on October 13, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on December 2, 1939 and spent his childhood in the war-torn, Japanese-occupied British colony of Hong Kong. He grew up in that crowded city, teeming with new immigrants, playing street soccer and swimming in Hong Kong harbor. Because of his fascination with Chinese poetry and a special gift in Chinese calligraphy, he developed an early love for education and was selected to write the entrance exam for his alma mater King’s College, a government-run English language secondary school. Thus began his remarkable life journey reflecting the very best of grit, intellect, and heart.

Fu-Tin left Hong Kong to pursue higher education at the University of British Columbia, where he met the love of his life, Susan, who has remained his wife for over 61 years. He studied electrical engineering at UBC and later went on to earn a PhD in the same field from the University of Toronto.

Fu-Tin’s professional path led him to Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he worked on electronic switching machines, network operations, and international standards work for telecommunications. In the collegial, scientific community of Holmdel, Fu-Tin instilled in his children not only love for science but also his love of sports. He was an enthusiastic American Dad and loved being a soccer coach, a Cub Scout assistant leader, and a tennis coach. He taught his three children—David, Martha, and Jonathan– the same grit, humility, and commitment to excellence that defined his own life. He was an avid tennis and ping pong player, worked daily on a crossword puzzle, was the family Scrabble champion, and was astonished and delighted when his letters appeared in the NY Times Letters to the Editor.

Although fit and active his entire life, Fu-Tin had many serious illnesses in his latter years. He was diagnosed with stage 4 Cutaneous Lymphoma (also known as Sezary Syndrome) in 2011 and underwent a stem cell transplant in 2012 at the Stanford University Hospital. The amazing doctors there saved his life with a new protocol called a “mini-transplant” that gave him many more precious years with his family. His devotion to physical fitness his entire life enabled him to survive this and other serious illnesses in the last few years of his life. Susan’s single-minded devotion to his care and the medical expertise in his family gave him the opportunity to enjoy his grandchildren for many more years. He often said that his best decision was marrying Susan as she was the key to his fulfillment in life.

Fu-Tin is survived by his wife Susan; his children and their spouses, David (Elena), Martha (Andrew), and Jonathan (Megan); and six cherished grandchildren—Maya, Chella, Evan, Katie, Jonathan, and Emily; sisters in Hong Kong—Mei-Chun, Sau-Chan, and Yuk-Chun; and many lifelong friends, such as Hing and Maggie Pang, who came in his final days to recite his favorite Tang poems at his bedside.

We are deeply saddened to lose our own ninja warrior and life mentor, who had a gentle heart and soul. His rags to riches story is no surprise as his values of grit, determination, intellect and hard work, were clearly evident in the way he willed his way to success in school, career, devotion as a husband, father, and grandfather. Fu-Tin Man’s legacy will live on through his family and friends, in the lives he touched, the lessons he taught, the smiles he elicited with his quick witted humor, and the love he gave so freely. He will be long remembered for his strength that was matched only by his kindness.

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