Dr. Fred Kurt Manasse

Dr. Fred Kurt Manasse was born in Frankfurt, Germany on July 27, 1935; he died June 2, 2022 in Waltham, MA. Through the heroic efforts of his parents and many others, Fred and his brother Gus escaped the fates of his parents and sister, who are believed to have been murdered in Nazi death camps. By the age of nine he had been safely hidden in five countries before coming to New York City on January 10, 1946. Fred lived in multiple foster homes and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. At 18 he met his beloved wife, Annette, while studying at the City College of New York. Fred graduated magna cum laude, then worked at Bell Labs where he received a scholarship to attend Princeton. He received his PhD in theoretical physics from Princeton in 1962 for a dissertation on the effect of black holes on nearby objects. Fred went on to teach at Princeton, Dartmouth, Drexel and the University of New Hampshire, engaging his students with his passion for 17 years. In 1976 he started a company in his garage, developing several patents for alternative energy technologies. A man ahead of his time, he devoted 10 years to changing the world one solar heating panel at a time. Sadly, the world has yet to fully embrace the brilliance Fred shared 40 years ago. But his wish and vigor to change the world—to better the world—was a lifelong pursuit. He went on to successful stints as an electrical engineer at Mitre, Raytheon, and Lockheed-Martin.

Fred was a visionary ball of creative energy who inspired those who spent even a little time with him. He was a man who loved easily and who was deeply and easily loved—though not necessarily always an easy man to contend with (ask Annette: she has stories). Fred embraced every aspect life had to offer, one zillion percent, and he embodied connection and dialogue with everyone he met. He became a master gardener, antique-aficionado, decorated squash player, downhill skier, barber shop quartet singer, Walk For Hunger marshall, First Aid squader and a Meals on Wheels and Waterworks volunteer. He was a life-long lover of—and patron of—classical music. He stayed engaged in the events of the day through a weekly Salon he hosted (for which he always enjoyed the happy labor of making his famous soups) and his daily cover-to-cover reading of the New York Times. Fred was provocative, bombastic, opinionated, and had no time for filters.

He always had advice—especially unsolicited—but most who were graced eventually found that his insights were spot on. A great lover of unstructured journeying, Fred often took his grandchildren bushwhacking through the forests of Massachusetts. He supported his grandkids at bar mitzvahs, dance recitals, musicals, games and birthday parties from Boston to San Francisco. When Fred and Annette’s first child was born with Down’s syndrome, Fred became a fierce advocate within The Association of Retarded Citizens (now The Arc). He ultimately helped create the first group homes for adults with developmental disabilities in New Hampshire.

After a 40-year career as an engineer Fred became a student again, becoming a sculptor and artist. With Annette’s love and support, Fred became deeply connected to the Boston and global communities of Holocaust and child survivors. His long-buried pain, processed through this web of relationships, later became an integral part of his art. He created award-winning pieces exploring trauma, loss and redemption. Fred’s inner exploration allowed him to become more connected to his childhood suffering, allowing space to hold others with compassion and patience.

Fred had been ill for several years, and in the end died peacefully with Annette beside him, as always. Fred’s love for his wife, brother, kids, grandsons, nieces and nephews, cousins, mishpocheh, dear, dear friends, care-givers—even for his dogs—was truly bottomless.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Annette; his children: Mark & his wife Janet, Lauren & her husband Patrick, Sean and Ellis; and his grandsons Julian, Declan, Walt and Phin. He is pre-deceased by his eldest son, Jeffrey, his parents Alfred & Trude, his brother Gus, his sister Myriam and his foster-brother Len Clauss and his late foster parents Mr and Mrs Lederman. He is also survived by his sister in law Helen Manasse.

Fred is one of a kind, unforgettable, and will be missed in perpetuity. He was irrepressible, unignorable, and completely irreducible to any limited number of words.

Private gravesite services. Shiva will be held—masks required please. Contact family for details.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Great Bay Services in Dover, NH, www.greatbayservices.org or Schechter Holocaust Services, www.jfcsboston.org/Our-Services/Older-Adults/Schechter-Holocaust-Services" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.jfcsboston.org/Our-Services/Older-Adults/Schechter-Holocaust-Services or Jewish Family and Children’s Services, www.jfcsboston.org or HIAS, www.hias.org