Dr. Thomas Fok

AUSTINTOWN - Prayers will begin Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. at the Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at noon at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church for Dr. Thomas D. Y. Fok, 92, who died Saturday afternoon at Vibra Health Center.
Thomas was born July 1, 1921, in Canton, China, the son of Tat-Hing and Choi (Tsai) Fok.
Dr. Fok received his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from the National Tung-Chi University of China in 1945 and received an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1948. In 1950, he would earn an M.B.A. in Corporate Finance and Statistics from New York University and in 1956, received his Ph.D in Civil Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University.
Before coming to the Mahoning Valley, Dr. Fok held engineering positions with consulting firms in New York and Pennsylvania. In 1958, he accepted the position of Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Youngstown State University, where he taught until 1967. During his tenure, he was appointed Director of the Computing Center and in 1966 received the Walter E. and Caroline H. Watson Foundation Distinguished Professor's Award.
In 1967, Dr. Fok began his own business, forming a partnership in Moser-Fok Consulting Engineers. He then, in 1976, served as chairman of his own business Thomas Fok and Associates, earning a reputation of excellence in engineering, serving Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Portage Counties. Dr. Fok was a registered engineer in nine states as well as a registered surveyor and was granted a certificate of qualification on the National Council of Engineering Examiners. Dr. Fok had authored and co-authored many technical publications for the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Concrete Institute.
Dr. Fok was an active member of many organizations including the American Society of Civil Engineers, where he served as president and was named Outstanding Civil Engineer in 1984, the Mahoning Valley Technical Societies Council, where he had served as president received its Outstanding Person Award in 1987 and had served as the president of the Mahoning Valley Society of Professional Engineers.
Always active in the community, Dr. Fok was a member, past president and Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary Club of Austintown, served on the board of directors of the Austintown Community Council, served as a trustee of the Youngstown and Mahoning County Public Library, the Youngstown Education Foundation, the Board of Trustees of Youngstown State University serving as chairman from 1981 to 1983 and was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.
In addition to his numerous awards, Dr. Fok was named to the Austintown Hall of Fame in 1993 and Y.W.C.A. man of the year in 1994.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Maria Fok; numerous nieces, nephews; great-nieces and nephews; and a great-great-nephew.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by five brothers; and three sisters.
The family has requested that material tributes take the form of donations to either the Bishop's Appeal, c/o The Diocese of Youngstown or the Youngstown State University Foundation in Dr. Fok's memory.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday evening at the Higgins-Reardon Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel.
Visit www.higgins-reardon.com to view this tribute and to send condolences.