Hazel Hashimoto Dunbar
April 18, 1934 – October 10, 2020
Hazel Hashimoto Dunbar, 86 years old, was born April 18, 1934 to Charles and Yoshie Hashimoto in Compton, Calif. (because there was no hospital in Gardena). She called herself a “Gardena Girl” because she lived in or near Gardena most of her life. (from November 1941 to March 1946, she lived in Kauai, Hawaii; Jerome, Arkansas; Gila, Arizona; and Cleveland, Ohio).
Hazel graduated from Gardena High School (S’ 51) and UCLA (S’ 55), worked for LAUSD full-time from September 1955 as an elementary school teacher through 1972 and as Regional Recreation Director for the Youth Services Section through retirement in December 1991 and part-time in the West Y.S. Office through 2004. She was on leave for 3 years (1981-1984) to work with the L.A. Olympic Organizing Committee, which was a high point in her career of working with youth activities. She helped organize and assisted with Olympic activities for students in the 11 western states, and organized the transport of 100,000 youth and seniors free to the Games.
Following retirement she concentrated her volunteer time to her church (First Presbyterian Church of Inglewood) as choir member, organizer of the church’s concert series, and elder; as member of the UCLA Steven’s House (1972-2001) as treasurer; as a member of The Affiliates of UCLA (president, 2009-2011), a UCLA Scholarship Organization; and a singer with Los Cancioneros Master Chorale for over 50 years.
Hazel was a singer/chorister all her life—kindergarten soloist, children’s choir member at 9, member of girls’ glee club in junior high school; member of the high school choir; member of the UCLA Choir, the University Choir and the Westwood Community Choir; member of the Jester Hairston Metropolitan Choir (1956-1958) and Los Cancioneros Master Chorale (1958-2020).
From 2009-2016, with sister Dorie driving and Hazel navigating — they drove through 36 of the continental 48 states but during her lifetime, she rode (car, bus, train, plane, boat) through all the states except Vermont, New Hampshire, and North Dakota. America is beautiful!
Hazel was predeceased by her father (Charlie), mother (Yoshie), nephew (Michael) and sister (Doris Williams). “Auntie” to all her sister’s family—Gregory Mark, Ronald, Brandon (Kara and King, Keanu, Kameron, Kamiga, Journee), Amber (Lee), and Aaron Denny (Michelle and Jericho, Zoey) and many cousins in California and Hawaii, especially Hedy Ladek and Lester Sakimae.
Service will be held at Inglewood Cemetery-Parkview on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 at 11:00 a.m.