Henry Hatsuo Nishizu
June 30, 1921 – January 16, 2019
A private service was held for longtime Buena Park resident, Henry Hatsuo Nishizu, on January 26, 2019. He was 97. Born in Garden Grove, California to Nobujiro and Shige (Takayama) Nishizu of Kyushu, Japan, Henry was the youngest and last to survive of seven siblings that included Grace, Clarence, Dorothy, Ruth, Florence, and John.
At the outbreak of WWII, Henry and his family were forced to abandon their farm in Buena Park to be incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. After the war, Henry returned to Orange County where he and Miwako Marumoto, a friend from camp, married in 1951. They raised three their daughters, in Anaheim.
In 1960 Henry left farming for a career in real estate development, acting as builder, manager and owner of
several industrial, commercial, and residential projects over four decades.
Throughout his life, Henry was known for his warm smile, big heart and sharp wit – an instantly likable guy.
He and Miwa enjoyed a long and happy marriage of almost 61 years until her death in 2012. He will be missed dearly by daughters, Donna McFarland, Elaine Nishizu, Eileen (Chris) Rodenhizer, and grandchildren Allison and Trentin McFarland, Paris Nelson, and Milan Rodenhizer, along with a slew of beloved nieces and nephews.