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Late Long Beach State Booster Al Fujimoto To Be Honored

Fujimoto operated unassumingly

49er enthusiast was a solid supporter of athletics.

By Press-Telegram staff reports

This was supposed to be Al Fujimoto's favorite kind of weekend.

Thursday night, he was going to run the Pyramid scoreboard clock for the Long Beach State-Cal State Northridge women's basketball game.

Tonight, he was to be at Blair Field operating the scoreboard as the Dirtbags opened their home baseball season against St. Mary's. And, if Al could have figured out how to be in two places at once, he would have been on duty at the Pyramid for the men's volleyball match with UC San Diego.

Saturday afternoon, he was to be back at Blair Field for a 2 p.m. baseball game and then at the Pyramid for a 7 p.m. basketball game. Sunday, it was Blair Field again.

Fujimoto won't be at any of those events. Instead, he will be remembered, fondly by those who knew him, during a moment of silence before the games begin.

Fujimoto, 58, died Sunday of a massive heart attack in his Long Beach home.

A graveside memorial service will be held Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Green Hills Memorial Park, 27501 S. Western Ave, Rancho Palos Verdes. The family asks that anyone attending wear Long Beach State apparel, and in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Long Beach State baseball program, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840.

It is a reflection on Fujimoto's unassuming demeanor and unwavering sense of responsibility that no one is really sure when he began handling scoreboard duties for the 49ers.

The Pyramid? Probably when it opened in 1994. Blair Field? Probably when the baseball team began playing there in 1993.

A graduate of Poly High who matriculated to Long Beach City College and Long Beach State, Fujimoto spent three years in the Army (1966-68). He was a gunner on a Huey Helicopter during a tour of duty in Vietnam.

An avid traveler, Al, wife Patty and son Cameron would choose a different state to visit each summer. Fujimoto was a mortgage banker by trade, but a full-time 49er fan in real life.

If he had favorites, he didn't make a big deal about it, although he told Cameron that one of his favorite times was during the 1990 football season when George Allen coached the 49er football team.

He was also thrilled to be in Madison, Wis., with Patty in 1998 when the Long Beach State women's volleyball team completed an unbeaten season (36-0) by beating Penn State in the NCAA championship game. And, he held dear the four trips the Dirtbags made to Omaha, Neb., for the NCAA's College Baseball World Series.

Fujimoto is survived by his wife Patty, his son Cameron, his brother Glenn and sister Sharon.