In Memory

Yukie Onishi

Yukie Onishi



 
go to bottom 
  Post Comment

05/14/14 10:47 PM #1    

Susan Meade (Tibeau)

This is  copy of the letter sent by Yuki's niece:

 

Dear Auburn High Class of 1960,

With a very heavy heart, I wanted to let you know that my dear Auntie Yukie Onishi died April 30, 2014. She was known as 'The Quiet One'. She went to many of the reunions, even though she barely spoke to any one. I accompanied her several time.

Her funeral is open to all. It is this Saturday, May 17th, 2014 at Mount Zion Baptist Church at 1634 Nineteenth Avenue, Seattle, WA at 11 am. Viewing is from 9-11 am. Lunch will be served immediately following the service in the adjacent Parlor.

Here is a short obituary which I wrote for her in the program.
Yukie was born at home in Seattle on May 19, 1937. Her mother, Tomoyo, died two days after her birth and her father, Kitaro, was unable to take care of an infant and four children under the age of 10. Yukie was moved to a home in West Seattle and later to an orphanage in Spokane. When she was 7, she was sent to Japanese-American internment camp in Idaho, where she was overjoyed to be reunited with her family. Sadly, her family was not together for long. Her father passed away when she was fifteen and her older brother, Toshio, died when she was sixteen.

Despite many hardships, Yukie never felt sorry for herself. She found strength in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at an early age. Mount Zion Baptist Church was her spiritual home and Sunday service gave her tremendous encouragement and inspiration.

Yukie graduated from Auburn High School in 1960, and went to work at Farwest Garment, a jacket factory, for one year. In 1966, she got a job at Doctors Hospital as a Pantry Aide. When Doctors became Swedish Hospital in 1980, she stayed on as a Dietary Aide and remained until she retired in December 1997. She won many perfect-attendance awards during her 31 years and made lifelong friends there.

Yukie didn't marry or have her own children, but cared for many of the children of her friends, neighbors and family. Her brave spirit sent her on adventures around the world with her girlfriends. She visited England, France, Italy, Holland, Germany, Austria, Canada, Japan, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, and many of the states in America.

She loved gatherings of friends and family, and celebrating and giving to others gave Yukie her greatest joy. She had a quiet sweetness and was able to touch the lives of people she'd just met. She enjoyed simple pleasures: delicious coffee, pretty flowers and sunsets, gospel music, talking on the phone with friends. Although she lost her sight due to macular degeneration in 2010 and could no longer enjoy taking photos, tending to her plants, shopping for cards and going for walks, she discovered many new activities at Fred Lind Manor and with the low-vision support group and the cancer-support group.

Yukie is survived by her sister Shima Hoshisaki of Elk Grove, CA; sister-in-law Carolyn Onishi, of Sacramento, CA; her nephews Jason Tsujikawa of Redmond, WA; Grant Hoshisaki, of Santa Clara, CA; Eric Onishi of Sacramento, CA; Greg Onishi of Fair Oaks, CA; Marc Onishi of Sacramento, CA; Scott Onishi of Sacramento, CA; and niece Kris Tsujikawa of Seattle, WA.


05/17/14 12:03 PM #2    

Kay Holman (Evans)

Yukie at the June 2010 Class Reunion.


05/17/14 10:04 PM #3    

Wendy Morgan

I attended Yuki's memorial service today and am so glad I went.   I was very touched by her neice's letter to Susan, and so I went.   Yuki was very much loved by the members of Mt. Zion Church and by her family, although few of them except her closest family members knew of her early life.    She was quite a remarkable person, known among those who loved her as one of the kindest and most thoughtful people they had ever known.   I really enjoyed talking with those who attended and re-connected with an old friend and colleague from my King County Women's Program Days, Ethel Mitchell. 

Life is so precious.   Yuki's message to us was that we need to treasure our friendships and our family. 


05/18/14 08:17 AM #4    

Nancy Fallert (Colson)

Wendy,

I am so glad you did that. I wanted to call you to see about going together, but I just couldn't go yesterday.

Her niece's letter was very touching.  I am feeling a loss for not having made the effort to talk with Yuki and get to know her when she came to our reunions.  It's nice to know that someone from our class touched so many people with her kind and thoughtful ways.

Thanks for representing our class at her services, Wendy.

Nancy

 

 

 


go to top 
  Post Comment