Grew up in Princeton
LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Martin L. Zapf died Friday of colon cancer. He was 82.
Mr. Zapf was born in Princeton and graduated from Princeton High School in 1943.
He was an executive at Unisys Corp., holding a number of positions at the company’s international subsidiaries.
After graduating from PHS, he entered the Army Air Corps and trained as a B-29 crew member. He flew 16 missions over Japan.
His crew was forced to bail out over the Sea of Japan on Aug. 8, 1945, spending seven days in life rafts before being picked up by Japanese fishermen on Aug. 14, 1945. As World War II hostilities ceased the next day, the crew was considered to be the last prisoners of war captured during the war. Mr. Zapf was the last survivor of the crew.
After the war, he graduated from Rider University and began his career with Burroughs Corp., which later became Unisys, in Trenton.
His career took him to the international division of the company where he spent 20 years in various international positions including general manager of subsidiaries in Jamaica, Philippines, Norway, Germany, Mexico and Japan. He retired in 1985 and moved to Yardley, Pa.
In retirement, he volunteered with the International Executive Service Corps, serving in Zimbabwe, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
He also volunteered with the Service Corps of Retired Executives in Fairless Hills, Pa. He was a member of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce and the Nassau Club of Princeton.
He is survived by his wife, Jutta C. Zapf and children Martha, Susan, Peter and Mariko.
Interment will be 1 p.m. Saturday at the Highland Cemetery, Hopewell.
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. at the Nassau Club, followed by a reception there.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301, Attn: Gift Processing.
Arrangements are by FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home, Yardley, Pa.

