Robert Fried Fokos passed away peacefully on May 4, 2021, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1936, Robert survived both the Holocaust and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution before escaping to America at age 20.
It was in the States that Robert met the love of his life, Eniko or “Ency,” with whom he shared 56 years of happy marriage. Together, Robert and Ency raised three children: David, Dana, and Michelle. A proud inventor, Robert held many patents for his innovations in the commercial printing industry. After bringing his family to vacation on Martha’s Vineyard in 1978, Robert fell in love with the Island. He visited every summer until finally settling in Chilmark year-round in 1999.
For most of his life, Robert distanced himself from his Jewish heritage for fear of another Holocaust. But later, with encouragement from his daughter Michelle, he came to embrace it. At age 77, Robert became a bar mitzvah, a rite of passage that was denied to him as a child.
Though he was known for his love of bridge playing and birdwatching (he especially loved hummingbirds and orioles), nothing was more important to Robert than family. A selfless man, Robert dedicated himself to his wife and children, eschewing personal indulgences. Friends and family alike remember him for his exceptional storytelling and clever jokes.
Robert was preceded in death by his brother, Peter. He is survived by his wife Ency, his sons David and Dana, daughter Michelle, brother George, granddaughters Rebecca and Caroline, and nieces Andrea, Maureen, Henrietta, and Barbara.
On May 10, an intimate burial service was held in Chilmark at the Abel’s Hill Cemetery. There are plans for a larger service later in the summer. Robert will be fondly remembered with love and admiration.
For online tributes and more information, please visit chapmanfuneral.com.
