Miye Yoshida
September 11, 1928 – September 22, 2018
Miyeko Yoshimori Yoshida passed away peacefully on September 22, 2018, a few days after celebrating her 90th birthday with her family. Born to Kintaro Yoshimori and Tamiko Akagi on September 11, 1928, in Seattle, WA, Miye was the youngest of three children.
Miye grew up in Seattle and San Francisco until her family, including sister Chiye and brother Melvin, was sent to Topaz (Utah) Internment Camp for Japanese Americans during WWII. She graduated from Adelphi University in New York, and received her graduate degree in microbiology at UCLA. She taught high school in the Los Angeles school district and later became a high school librarian. She married Ronald “Tubby” Yoshida in 1960. Tubby passed away in November, 2017.
Miye had a passion for learning and was a prolific artisan. She was constantly creating, making jewelry, woodblock prints, etchings, pine needle baskets, and washi books, knitting and sewing. She loved to collect Japanese prints, garden, cook, read, and entertain. Her hoshigaki (dried persimmons) were a coveted treat throughout the San Fernando Valley. She traveled enthusiastically to Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. She was an active member of the Japanese American Citizen League (JACL) and volunteered at the Friends of Little Tokyo Library.
Miye is survived by her three children: Ron (Kelly), Douglas, (Jennifer Huang), and Karen Leib (Paul), and her many nieces and nephews. Her greatest joy was her five grandchildren: Kylie, Cory, Shelby, Graham, and Shaun. Miye was a dedicated and loving wife, mother, and grandmother.