Fernando Alvarez de Toledo

1934 - 2016

Fernando Alvarez de Toledo died suddenly on Sept. 14, 2016 on the island of Capri, Italy, during a visit to his ancestral home with his wife, Mary-Margaret. He was born in 1934 at the Palazzo Bivona, the family home in Naples, Italy, son of Count Ramiro Alvarez de Toledo and Laetizia Cerio of Capri. He inherited his fathers titles, Duke of Bivona and Count of Caltabellota. In 1940, as World War II loomed, the family moved first to Argentina where he learned his second of 6 languages. In 1945 they came to Concord, Massachusetts. Here he graduated from the Fenn School, Middlesex School and as a protg of Dr. Joseph Albers, received his degree in Design Engineering, the first of its kind, from Yale University in 1957. For 30 years he travelled the world for Owens-Corning Fiberglass designing products and building facilities in Europe and the Middle East. He and his family lived for several years in Belgium and later in Brazil where he selected the site, designed the plant, built it, hired the employees and ran it successfully. After OCF, he co-founded his own company, ACT Medical where he pioneered medical device technology. He held 39 patents ranging from collapsible tennis rackets, to fiberglass pipelines, guide wires and catheters. He was a Master Rower and a long time member of the Cambridge Boat Club and raced competitively both in the U.S. and abroad. He collected antique automobiles, ranging from a 1929 Model A Ford, in his collection for 40 years, to a 1952 Jaguar, XK 120. His land conservation interests included the Walden Woods Project in Concord and the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Newport, RI. He was an active member of the Cerio Foundation & Museum in Capri named for his great-grandfather, Ignazio Cerio and housed in the Palazzo Cerio. A funeral service was held in the Cathedral at Capri and was followed by interment in the family crypt there. He leaves his wife of 55 years, Mary-Margaret, a son Federico of Capri and a daughter Livia of Newmarket, NH. He was preceded in death by his sister Beatriz. A memorial service at Concords Trinity Church will be held on Wednesday, October 5 at 10 A.M.