EUGENE J. FASULLO (1931-2020)

BY LILLIAN C. BORRONE

EUGENE JACK FASULLO was one of a line of impressive and impactful chief engineers and directors of engineering who contributed to and made better every major project of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey undertaken during his long career. He died on Oct. 30, 2020, at the age of 89.

Gene was born on April 20, 1931. As noted in his obituary,¹ he was an “out of the box thinker.” He demonstrated this tendency to his family when he applied to attend Brooklyn Technical High School rather than his neighborhood school, commuting by subway to receive an expanded education. That education sparked his long love of engineering.

After high school he served two years in the Marines, which afforded him the opportunity to use the G.I. Bill to pay his tuition at Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, where he earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering. He then went on to obtain an M.S. in structural engineering from the University of Illinois.

Fortunately, Gene applied for and was hired as an entry-level civil engineer at the Port of New York Authority, now known as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He did well and gained the reputation of a creative visionary who excelled at clearly defining a goal and determining the most efficient path to its accomplishment.

Gene rose steadily in the Engineering Department and became a trusted advisor, chief implementer, and then in 1992, chief engineer and director of engineering. In this role he demonstrated his passion, creativity, and strongly held belief that engineers are and must be an integral part of the team needed to successfully execute every phase of a construction project, from planning through design to implementation. Gene’s deputy, Frank Lombardi, who became chief engineer when Gene retired, admired Gene greatly and said about him: “Although educated as an exceptional structural engineer, I truly believe that, deep down, Gene was an architect. His vision was that a building’s structure should be an architectural statement. A perfect example of this vision was Newark Liberty International Airport’s original thin-shell, reinforced concrete hyperbolic paraboloid umbrella. This geometric form was an efficient, economic, and, most importantly, aesthetically pleasing design.”

As director of management and budget for the Authority in the 1980s, my staff and I often had the opportunity to challenge Gene’s views, his budgets, including staffing, and his implementation plans. Our discussions were always vibrant! Gene took the time to think through all aspects of the issues under discussion. He would explain his opinion, back it up with facts, discuss the implications of proposed actions or alternatives, and, when appropriate, negotiate a gracious conclusion. His views helped us to create a Capital Planning delivery system, which combined the planning, design, engineering, program management, and construction needs and skills with those of the line departments into a more effective process, thus allowing the Authority to significantly enhance its ability to spend and deliver on the state of good repair and new projects moving from multimillion-dollar annual budgets to multibillion-dollar plans and budgets.

Besides being a creative leader and a successful engineer who could often bring the appropriate suggestion to his teams at just the right time, he was a gracious and funny gentleman who loved the outdoors, loved to play tennis and ski (both of which he taught himself later in life by reading a book), and loved to tell stories about his family, the events of his daily life, and the wonderful family vacations and work-related trips he took.

As his daughter, Dawn Woo, recalled, Gene was a prolific storyteller who would happily spin a tale of one of his experiences to share with a willing audience of any size. The story heard by the greatest number of people, resulting in his “15 minutes of fame,” was that about his experience of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Not only did he survive being trapped — along with several others — in a smoke-filled elevator, but after doing so, he immediately went to work to assess the safety of the building and direct the efficient stabilization, recovery, and restoration of it. Many organizations, from local radio stations to engineering organizations to the Wall Street Journal, asked Gene to share the story of his unique experience of this event.

Gene was honored with a number of recognitions. He was one of ASCE’s first OPAL winners (in 2000 for Public Works) and a life member. Gene received the ASCE President’s Medal, the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Polytechnic University of Brooklyn, and a Special Citation from the American Institute of Architects. He was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1994 and was a member of The MOLES, a distinguished fraternal organization of the heavy construction industry.

After retiring from the Port Authority, Gene served as a consultant on construction projects and worked to promote the role of the engineer through speaking engagements and by teaching as a professor at Polytechnic Institute of Technology of Brooklyn. There he also established a leadership program, EXEC 21, where he brought A/E/C industry leaders to teach much-needed leadership skills to working engineers at a convenient Manhattan location.

Following Gene’s passing, a scholarship was established in Gene’s name. Scholarships are awarded to deserving summer engineering and architectural interns who have worked for the Port Authority’s Engineering Department. The scholarship program reflects the love and respect Port Authority Engineering Department staff continue to hold for one of the most dedicated and talented chief engineers of the Port Authority. Since its inception and initial sponsorship by The MOLES and the ongoing generosity of the Fasullo family, along with other donors, ten $5,000 scholarships have been awarded to students completing their summer internships. The program will continue in 2025 and beyond.

Gene is survived by his wife, Maxine Hyrkas; his sister, Marie Zodda; his brother, Vincent Fasullo; his sons, Greg (Ashley) Fasullo, John (Lisa) Fasullo, and Todd (Andrea) Fasullo; his stepdaughters, Dawn (John) Woo and Lori (Bill) Christiano; and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Frances Fasullo, and his brother, Tom Fasullo.

We were fortunate to have known and worked with Gene and to have benefited from the vision and creativity he shared with all.

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¹ ASCE. 2021. Former NY/NJ Port Authority chief dies at 89; one of ASCE’s first OPAL winners, Jan 22.