Katsura Fukui

Katsura Fukui, age 93, passed away after a brief illness on February 19, 2019. Katsura was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1925 to Sakuzo Fukui and Matsu Fukui (nee Tani). He graduated from the University of Nagoya with a degree in Physics, and traveled afterwards to Boston on a Fullbright Scholarship. He was baptized into the Catholic Church in 1956. He received a Master’s Degree from Boston University and a Doctorate from University of Kiel (Germany). He spent most of his professional career conducting research on the ionosphere and the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) for the U.S. Department of Defense at Hanscom Air Force Base, Bedford MA. He traveled twice close to the North Pole to oversee the installation of communications equipment.

He had a lifelong love of opera and traveled extensively, visiting opera houses in various European capitals with his wife of 53 years Kathe (nee Bernemann). He played the violin, spoke three languages and was tickled by homophones such as his work involving EISCAT (which had nothing to do with frozen felines) or his cardiologist named Dr. Salem (who had nothing to do with Mozart’s Pasha Selim in Die Entführung aus dem Serail).

In addition to his wife, he leaves behind his daughter Elisabeth Tani, son-in-law Rahul Tiwari, and granddaughter Mira Angelika Tiwari.

The funeral will be on Friday 2/22/19 at 9 am from the Leber Funeral Home then to St. Nicholas Church in Jersey City where at 10:30 am a mass will be offered. The interment will follow at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City.