Chiyeko Okada's Obituary
Chiyeko “Chickie” Okada passed away in Redwood City on May 11, 2016. She was preceded in death by her husband, George in 2013. She was preceded in death by her parents Jutaro & Fuji Yoshimoto and siblings Kay, Lillian, Teruo, Akito, Miyoko.She is the mother of Karen in Redwood City, CA, Ron (Robin), Redwood City, CA and Dave (Karen), and grandmother to Andy and Danny, in Keizer, Oregon. She is also survived by her siblings Jun (Jane) Yoshimoto, Sumi Yoshimoto, sister-in-law Lana Yoshimoto and numerous nieces and nephews.Chiyeko was born in Newcastle, California on August 28, 1934, was interned at Tule Lake in 1942, then returned to attend Placer High School before moving to San Mateo and graduating from San Mateo High School in 1950. After taking classes at the College of San Mateo, she worked for Pan American Airlines, then married her husband George in 1956 and moved to Redwood City. She worked at the San Mateo County Fairgrounds and City of Redwood City until retiring.After her retirement she spent over 16 years as devoted caregiver and advocate for George, who was disabled by a stroke. Despite a number of injuries and illnesses, she worked very hard to stay healthy and was a regular participant in the Adaptive PE class at the Senior Center in Redwood City. She was an inspiration to all who knew her and she constantly amazed her doctors with her ability to bounce back from her ailments. Her main mission in life was to spend as much quality time as possible with Andy and Danny, and to attend their sporting events and concerts in Oregon. Mission accomplished!Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at 10:30 A.M. at the San Mateo Buddhist Church, 2 S. Claremont Street, San Mateo, CA 94401In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Adaptive Physical Education program at 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City, CA 94061 or the San Mateo Buddhist Temple.
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