Namiye Fukuzawa - Rafu Shimpo

Namiye Fukuzawa
June 30, 1925 – March 10, 2019

Namiye Fukuzawa, 93, of Gardena, CA, passed away at home on March 10, 2019. Beloved wife of 65 years to Michito Frank Fukuzawa (predeceased), father of Sheryl (Clayton (predeceased)) Iijima and Leigh (Katie) Fukuzawa, grandmother of Daryl Iijima, Lauren (Derek) Wong, and Tricia Fukuzawa, and sister of Kazuo (predeceased) and Toshiko Bradley (predeceased), she leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

Namiye was born in Los Angeles, CA to Ryuhei and Teruyo Nogami, and raised in Gardena, CA. During WWII, Namiye, along with her mother and father, were forced to relocate to the Santa Anita Race Track, where they were interned, before voluntarily relocating to Utah. Namiye graduated Weber High School in Ogden, Utah, and in 1947, she graduated Utah State Agricultural College (Utah State University) with a degree in Home Economics.

Following graduation, Namiye returned to Los Angeles, where she met and married Michito Frank Fukuzawa. The couple settled in Gardena, raising two children, Sheryl and Leigh. Namiye was very active in PTA and was a Girl Scout Leader. She was active at Gardena Valley Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Esther Circle, part of the Women’s Missionary Society/ ABW (American Baptist Women), and she was part of the church choir for 40 years.

Namiye and Frank enjoyed traveling with family and friends., and supporting their grandchildren’s various sporting endeavors. Namiye will be remembered for her warm and welcoming spirit of hospitality, and her faith in Jesus Christ.

Services will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at 9AM at Green Hills Memorial Chapel, 27501 S. Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275.