Obituary of Forrest F. Fulton

Loving husband of Irene Graves Fulton. Adored father of Carol and Jeff Davis, David and Laurie Fulton, Elaine and Kevin Thompson, and Philip and Terri Fulton. Sister to Ruth Jeffries of Denver, Colorado. Grandfather to Kyle, Leah, and Stephanie Fulton and Helen Thompson. Great-grandfather to Sophie, Preston, and Ithaca. Treasured by his nieces, nephews, and many friends. Forrest Fulton was born and raised in Denver, Colorado by his parents, Forrest Fulton (from York, Pennsylvania) and Theresa Cloherty Fulton (from Cleggen, Ireland). Forrest attended the University of Colorado in Boulder. He followed in his Navy father's footsteps by enlisting in the Navy. He then continued his education, earning a Master's degree at Stanford University during which time he worked with Frederick Terman. Most importantly, while square dancing and folk dancing in Palo Alto, he met Irene Graves. They were married in September 1954 and spent the first five years of their marriage in Boulder, Colorado. Returning to the Bay Area, Forrest received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, with his then three young children in attendance. In 1965, Forrest and Irene moved to the home they designed and built together in Los Altos Hills. Forrest's family grew to include four children. The family traveled to Colorado every other year, never by the same route. Carlsbad Caverns, El Paso, Texas, and Yellowstone National Park were some of the locations visited on those trips. One year, the trip was even made by train between California and Denver. Forrest always loved outdoor activities. While he was still in Colorado, he climbed many of the mountain peaks and led other climbers up the mountains. He and three friends went to New Mexico to climb Shiprock, one of only a handful of people to do so. He taught his children to fish and camp, and took them hiking, including Mt. Lassen. He skied, and his children learned to ski, almost before they could walk. Until his stroke in 2005, he would walk six miles a day from home to Jamba Juice in downtown Los Altos and back. In his career, Forrest worked for Lockheed, Applied Technology, Inc. and Avantek and other Silicon Valley firms. He also was active in organizations such as IEEE. Though he excelled and was granted numerous patents, he was always very willing to mentor young engineers. After retirement from corporate life, he founded a consulting company called Inventions to Order. Forrest and Irene traveled to Europe several times, and even discovered the area in Scotland that his ancestors came from. He enjoyed trips to Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Russia, and Egypt. He loved to travel for the eye-opening experiences provided. Forrest was actively involved with St. Nicholas Church for decades, in numerous roles. The Memorial Mass will take place at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday 5/15 at St. William Catholic Church 611 S. El Monte Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022 . A celebration of life will follow at the St Nicholas Church hall, adjacent to the church at 473 Lincoln Ave. Los Altos, CA 94022, after the burial service at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Los Altos. Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Forrest Fulton to the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital. Please specify "For General Fund 2202."




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