Alice Etsuko Eto Sumida
July 18, 1914 – August 16, 2018
Alice Etsuko Eto Sumida, 104, wife of the late Mark Masuo Sumida of Portland, Oregon passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 16, in Beaverton, Oregon.
Born near San Luis Obispo on California’s Central Coast on July 18, 1914, Alice was the third of Tameji and Take Eto’s eight children. An Oregon resident for nearly eighty years, Alice was a woman of great character, intelligence, and generosity. She made lasting friendships throughout her long life, and her active support of more than fourteen community service organizations reflected her many interests and core values.
An alumna of Mills College in Oakland, California, Alice promoted education and worked tirelessly to expand cross-cultural understanding. She supported the arts, respect for all faiths, and the preservation of ethnic traditions. She was recognized many times for her efforts and honored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
Alice loved to dance. At age 84, she began ballroom dancing and went on to win competitions in both the United States and abroad. Her motto was always, “you have to keep moving!”
Alice’s life and many achievements were captured in print in Music for Alice by Allen Say, a Caldecott Medal winner; If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians by Paul Mobley and Allison Milionis; and Bend with the Wind: the Life, Family, and Writings of Grace Eto Shibata by Naomi Shibata.
Alice is survived by sisters Susy Sumuko Eto Bauman of San Luis Obispo, California, Nancy Eto Mihara of Sunnyvale, California, and Grace Eto Shibata of Atherton, California; as well as nieces and nephews Samuel Nakamura, Ronald (Jean) Kikuchi, Gerald (Margie) Kikuchi, Lauren (Jim) Eto, Lois (Kenichi) Hanaki, Alan (Janis) Eto, Marilyn Eto Fleisher, Linda (Gene) Moriguchi, Nathan (Suzanne) Mihara, Ted (Susan) Mihara, Naomi Shibata, Robert (Nancy) Shibata, Michael (Yuko) Shibata, Paul (June) Sumida, Ben Sumida, and Ellen (Robert) Sasamoto.
A private interment service will be followed by services on Saturday, September 8 at 1:00 pm at the Oregon Buddhist Temple, 3720 SE 34th Avenue, Portland, Oregon. A second memorial service will take place on Saturday, October 6 at 11:00 am at the San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple, 6996 Ontario Road, San Luis Obispo, California 93405.