Kiyoshi “Joe” Kamei, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died peacefully at his home surrounded by family. He was 86.
Joe was born in Los Angeles into a farming family. As a child, he and his family were interred at Poston during WWII. Afterwards, his family settled in Orange County, where he graduated from Garden Grove High School. He was an Army cook during the Korean War. He worked at Thriftimart and Ralphs as a produce manager. He was a hard worker to support his family and wisely invested in real estate.
Joe had a spontaneous smile and love of life. He was an avid fisherman, loved camping and traveling, could be heard whooping it up during Laker games, enjoyed bowling and golf, cooking, or catching an Angels game at the stadium. But his family was the most important part of his life and the aforementioned activities were usually enjoyed with family members.
Above all he was a kind and accepting man, who loved each and every one of us for who we are.
He is preceded in death by his wife Eleanor, who died in 1999. He is survived by daughters Marlene (Kevin) Kuroda, Denise (Greg) Sullivan, Shirley Kamei, and Lisa (Don) Bowman, son Michael (Joy) Kamei, twelve grandchildren, two great-grandsons, sisters Kay Nakamura and Miyo Matsubara, his partner Ofelia Mullins, and many other relatives and friends. A memorial service was held on June 23, 2017 at the Orange County Buddhist Church.
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