Estella Hoshimiya Uchizono died peacefully at Kei-Ai L.A. Healthcare Center on Oct. 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, at the age of 95, and is interred at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, Calif.
Estella was born in Brawley, Calif. in 1922 to Joe Toske and Sadayo Hoshimiya. She attended 36th Street Elementary, Foshay Junior High, Manual Arts High, L.A. City College, and Roosevelt College. She was active at Centenary Methodist Church and YWCA sports activities. When Executive Order 9066 was signed, Estella and her siblings were separated from their parents and taken to the Santa Anita Assembly Center and later to Camp Amache War Relocation Center in Granada, Colo. After WWII she worked as a secretary in Topeka, Kansas for the YMCA Rocky Mountain Region; moved to Chicago to attend Roosevelt College for 2.5 years; moved to Tokyo, Japan to work as a secretary and taught English for the Takenaka Komuten Construction Co. for 8 years; moved to San Francisco to work for the same company; settled in L.A. after 2000. She married Taro Uchizono in 2004 at 82, a childhood friend from Brawley, and has three step-sons living in Fountain Valley. Her hobbies were reading about Nisei history, enjoying traveling, exploring, and all kinds of foods.
She is survived by nephews Dan Deguchi (Lyn, son Matthew) and Chris Hoshimiya (daughter Stacey and son Dru); niece Pam Hoshimiya; step-sons Stanley (Sharon), Dr. Rodger, and Craig (Karen) Uchizono. Predeceased by husband Taro (2011), brother Dave Hoshimiya, and sister Ruth H Deguchi.