Obituary of John Fusco

John Fusco, of Naples, FL and Burlington, MA, died suddenly on January 19, at his winter home in Naples, Florida from congestive heart failure. He was 82. John was a software entrepreneur and a leader in the town Youth Sports programs in Burlington. His two sons, Mark and Scott Fusco, are the only siblings to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, presented annually to the top collegiate hockey player in the country. John was born in Revere in 1935. A graduate of Revere High School, he attended Brandeis College, where he played football and baseball. After graduating from Brandeis in 1957, John began his career, working for the Lockheed Corporation in Palo Alto, CA. Later he became a pioneer in the computer industry, founding a software company, Analysis & Computer Systems, Inc. (ACSI) in 1964, in Burlington, MA. In 1990, he started, with his son’s, Software Quality Partners, a company that was sold to Adecco, the world’s largest staffing company in 1999. Later his first company, ACSI, was sold to Rockwell Collins in 2002. At his core, John was devoted to his family. He was a loving husband to Joanne (Mahoney) Fusco. The pair just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. After returning from California, John settled in Burlington, MA where he was active in Youth Baseball and later served as president of the town’s Youth Hockey program, despite never properly learning now to skate, according to his son, Scott (Fusco). “My brother Mark and I started out, playing hockey in Burlington and our dad was our biggest fan. His family was everything to him,” recalls Scott Fusco. Both Scott and Mark Fusco played hockey at the Belmont Hill School and after graduating, enjoyed great success on the Harvard varsity hockey team. Among John’s proudest moments came when both of his sons received the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the most outstanding collegiate hockey player. Mark earned the honor in 1983 and his brother Scott, in 1986. The Fusco brothers played together on the 1984 US Olympic Team. Later, Scott played on the 1988 US Team and Mark played in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers. Both Scott and Mark were inducted together into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. John was an avid golfer, taking up the sport after retirement. He spent his summers on Cape Cod and enjoyed competing in tournaments at the Cummaquid Golf Club in Yarmouth Port, MA. John is survived by his wife, Joanne, his son Mark and daughter in law Kristen Bland Fusco of Westwood, MA and their two sons, John and Matthew, and his son Scott and daughter in law Kevyn Barbera Fusco of Winchester, and their three daughters, Bradley, Nell, and Mia. Brother of the late Joseph and Richard Fusco. John continued to be an ardent hockey fan until his death, cheering on his five grandchildren, who grew up playing the sport. Scott Fusco’s two oldest daughters are currently collegiate hockey players. Bradley Fusco plays for the Harvard varsity hockey team and her younger sister, Nell Fusco who plays for Bowdoin. Funeral from the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Monday, January 29 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Sunday 2-5 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Those who wish to honor John’s memory may contribute to the Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org