Masao Frank Masuda (100 years old) was born in Westminster, California on September 18, 1917, to Gensuke and Tamae Masuda. He grew up on a farm in Talbert (later known as Fountain Valley), attended Wintersburg Japanese Mission and graduated from Huntington Beach High School. Masao entered the U.S. Army in 1941, where he served as a Japanese Language Interpreter and Translator in the Military Intelligence Service. After the war, Masao returned to Fountain Valley where he continued working on the farm with his brother Mitsuo, and their families. He enjoyed farming, as well as mechanical work and a favorite passion, photography. After the farm was sold in the mid-1970's Masao kept busy with photography, carefully categorizing a large collection of photographs including several pictures documenting time in an internment camp. Items from his collection can be seen in a digital exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum's website, including memorabilia he donated regarding the life of his brother, Kazuo. Masao was active in the local VFW chapter, Wintersburg Presbyterian Church, and participated in activities at the Kazuo Masuda Middle School in Fountain Valley.

Masao was preceded in death by his wife, Lily (Kobayashi), and leaves behind a son, Marvin (Donna), daughter, Denice, granddaughter, Robyn, as well as several beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Services will be held on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at 11:00am at Wintersburg Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana.