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Charles Von Fulger Obituary

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Charles Von Fulger

Santa Rosa, CA

September 27, 1932 - October 20, 2020

Charles Von Fulger Obituary

Charles von Fulger, aka Karoly Buziassy, died in Kenwood on October 20, 2020. He was born in Budapest, Hungary on September 27, 1932. His parents were Karoly Buziassy and Olga Jansen. Charles was 7 when WWII began. He was 12 when it ended, and the communist regime began the occupation of Hungary. He survived years of depravation but was able to complete a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Szeged. In 1956 he escaped to Austria during the Hungarian uprising. He acted as a translator in a displaced persons camp in Austria and was offered an opportunity to immigrate to Australia, where he worked in a camp, and ultimately received an invitation to pursue his Masters degree in Animal Husbandry at the University of Melbourne. He immigrated to the Unites States in 1963 and received a scholarship to the University of California in Davis. He received a full fellowship at the University of Massachusetts and obtained his PhD in Food science. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Tau Sigma. He pursued a career at three major food companies in the United States and his work produced 26 food related patents. He proudly became a citizen of the U.S.A. on February 17, 1966. Charles retired to Santa Rosa in 1995. He is predeceased by his parents and his wife, Theresa. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ruth Anne; a sister, Olga Katanics; nephews, Andy (Agnes) and George Katanics; and sisters-in-law, Ethel, Alice and Leslie. Donations may be made to Star of the Valley, Catholic Church, or to Catholic Charities Immigration Support. Charles Louis Stephen Karoly Buziassy was born September 27, 1932 to Dr. Charles, Bela Alex Elek Buziassy, who was secretary of the Central Bureau of Statistics in Budapest, Hungary, and Olga Jansen, who was an aspiring concert pianist. The Buziassys were an upper class noble family with a fine exquisitely decorated house in Budapest. His grandfather owned land outside of Budapest where Charlie spent wonderful holidays and vacations with a loving extended family including a grandfather who he adored. Charlie always spoke fondly of his early childhood before WWII. During the war, as the Nazis consolidated their power, the family watched as their Jewish friends were slowly taken away. Deprivations brought on by the war created hardships and changes in lifestyle which necessitated ingenious creativity to meet their daily needs. Food in Budapest was scarce, and Charlie would often relate how his parents would send him to his grandfather’s farm along with his nanny on a summer break so that he would be able to eat fresh vegetables and drink the milk that a nanny goat supplied. They were concerned for the nutritional needs of this young man who would eventually be 6 ft. 3 in. tall. He was 12 years old when the war ended and Hungary was occupied by Russian troops. Thereafter, Hungary was ceded to the Soviet Union by the allies and became part of the Eastern Block. Oh, how the family had hoped that the U.S. would occupy Hungary instead. Olga engaged an English tutor in their building to teach Charlie and his sister English. The children were fluent in the Austrian dialect of German. Charlie always teased that he was half Danish, half Austrian which made him a “Viking” who should also be able to yodel. He was an inquisitive child and according to his mother very mischievous. He received punishment for a number of naughty deeds, one of which was throwing his mother’s diamonds into the fireplace to prove that they were truly made of carbon. Another was the dismantling of the grandfather clock to see how it was made. The nascent scientist was exercising early research techniques. Charlie received a Jesuit education, and then as all young men in the communist regime, he was recruited for a work camp worker. He was able to convince his supervisor that in order for communism to succeed thy needed educated workers. So ultimately he was able to go to the University of Szeged and obtaining a bachelor of science degree, went to work for a pharmaceutical company. In 1956 the people of Hungary attempted to overthrow the Russian Occupation. The revolution was instigated by farmers, students and workers. For a short two weeks, it appeared that it would be successful, until the Russian tanks arrived. It was at this time that those who were threatened and those who were young enough and needed to leave escaped the communist regime. Charlie escaped with friends hiding amid bales of hay in a farmer’s wagon. They went to an area close to Sopron on the border and crossed into Austria. Because of his fluency in German he worked as a translator in the Displaced Persons Camp. An opportunity to immigrate to Australia found him traveling to Amsterdam where he boarded the Dutch ship Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt. JVO as the English called the ship, gave Charlie an opportunity to improve his English. The young Dutch workers advised him to translate from a German dictionary instead of trying to translate from Hungarian to English. When he arrived in Melbourne, Australia he then worked as a translator in the D.P. camp. Through a contact he made in Austria he was given a letter introducing his to a professor at the University of Melbourne and was offered a job working in the labs. The job came with the perk of being able to study for his Masters Degree in Animal Husbandry. He received his degree with honors with his research on The Synthesis of Vitamins in the Rumen of Sheep. On July 15, 1960 he arrived in San Francisco aboard the SS Arcadia. He was sponsored by his brother-in law George and beloved sister, Olga. He lived with the Katanics family until he was awarded a N.I.H. pre-doctoral trainee scholarship to the University of CA in Davis. He worked and studied there until August, 1963. He received a stipend of $2000 and additional $300 for his dependent wife Theresa. His army draft classification was 5a which disqualified him because he was too old. Again through hard work, luck and prayers by his mother and sister, Charlie was accepted by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst on May 28, 1963 to begin his studies for a PhD. In Food Science and Technology with a full scholarship for housing and academics. He proudly became a U.S. citizen on February 17, 1966. He graduated on June 4, 1967. He was immediately employed at Kellogg Co. in Battle Creek, MI as Director of Research Laboratories. They wanted a scientist who was multi-lingual and could easily travel internationally. On April 3, 1968, in the Probate Court for the county of Calhoun in the state of Michigan, he changed his name from Charles Buziassy to Charles v. Fulger. He explained that professionally it was difficult for Americans to correctly pronounce Buziassy which resulted in the pronunciation as “Buzzy Assy”. By 1970, he had been a widower for 5 years. One enchanted evening in Kalamazoo he saw a stranger across a crowded floor and asked her to dance. It was the beginning of a whirlwind romance which resulted in a wedding to Ruth Anne Bell 4 months later. They were married March 20, 1970. It was a difficult engagement because Ruth worked 3-11 pm and every other weekend. But a typical date with Charlie began with being picked up at 10:00am, brunch, a movie in the afternoon, change of clothes, fancy dinner and a play or concert in the evening. In 1977 he accepted a position with General Foods Corp. in Tarrytown, NY where he developed strategic food technologies serving company business needs for which he received many awards and promotions. The move proved enriching, not only professionally but culturally. Travel for both business and pleasure, the rich selections of entertainment in NY city and development of an international circle of friends afforded the Fulgers 11 years of excitement and professional growth. After the General Foods take-over by Phillip Morris Co., a thousand scientists including senior directors of research like Charlie, were laid off. At 56, he began a 6 month job search which resulted in a move to Baltimore, MD to set up a research department for McCormick & Co. In 1995 a move to Santa Rosa, CA resulted in a wonderful retirement in Oakmont. Charlie finished his career with 26 food patents in his name and multiple honors. This gave the Fulgers the opportunity to travel extensively, cruise luxuriously, and gather a group of like-minded friends. He was close to his sister Olga and her family, there was time to volunteer, attend beautiful Star of the Valley Church and enjoy all that California has to offer. Charlie always enjoyed listening to music, playing bridge, dancing, gourmet food, fine wine and just being with his best friend and constant companion, Ruth. Gradually this brilliant, fun loving , bigger than life man, began a subtle loss of memory and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Obsessive Compulsive behaviors and advanced dementia overwhelmed his personality until total dependence on others resulted in a move to Green Acres Manor in Kenwood, CA where he enjoyed the pampering of that excellent staff. He continued to love the daily visits of his best friend, Ruth until God welcomed him home.

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