Sadao Itano - Rafu Shimpo

Sadao Itano
April 1929 – July 2020

Sadao Itano, a 91-year-old Los Angeles-born resident of Altadena, passed away on July 31, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Hideko Itano; son, Alan Itano: daughters, Christine Itano-Cosner (Christopher Cosner) and Alison Itano-Lee (Gary Lee); grandchildren, Ryan and Ian Cosner and Karina Lee; and many other relatives.

Many lives are a little less bright and secure when, on the morning of July 31st, we lost a great man: a loving husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend to many. Sadao Itano DDS, went to rest with his father Kisata, mother Takeno, and brothers, Yutaka, Takeo and Masashi. Sadao was the third of four boys, born April 1929 in Los Angeles. His parents would call him “Yancha Bozu,” a feisty and mischievous youth.

In 1942, during WWII, the family was uprooted to a transition site at Santa Anita race track stables where they lived during the summer. He was thirteen. They were then transferred to a Japanese Internment camp in Amache, Colorado. He spent three years of his life living in a makeshift barrack, surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers. He continued his education in camp, and upon the closure of the camps in 1945, at the age of 16, he applied and was accepted to the University of Wisconsin. He jumped on a train to travel to the university for his bachelor’s degree and then Northwestern University Dental School for his DDS. In 1944, he lost his father to cancer. In 1952, he volunteered to join the Air Force and served our country as a 1st Lieutenant.

In 1959, he won the heart of Hideko Shimozono and began raising a family. His favorite hobbies were golfing, bowling, fishing, skiing, basketball, ballroom dancing, cruising, and taking his family to Mammoth, Klamath and National Parks. Sadao practiced Dentistry for over 60 years with quiet determination, integrity, precision and perfection. Taking care of each person with respect and kindness was a defining hallmark of his practice. May he rest in peace in God’s loving arms. We look forward to reuniting with you in heaven.