Yoko Nakayama
February 8, 1941 – January 10, 2021
Yoko Nakayama, age 79, passed away at Atherton Baptist Homes on January 10, 2021 after a lengthy pulmonary illness followed by complications from Covid-19. She leaves behind her brother, Masami Nakayama, her niece, Jennifer Nakayama of Portland, Oregon, her dog/long-time companion Amy, and many relatives and life-long friends.
As a young child, Yoko spent time with her family at the Poston, Arizona internment camp for a few years. They then moved back to Boyle Heights where she lived her early years, graduating from Roosevelt High School. She enjoyed a 50-year career working as a dental technician and ultimately having her own dental lab in Los Angeles. Yoko always found the time to develop friendships throughout her life in whatever she pursued, while still maintaining her close ties with friends from childhood.
Yoko’s friends would describe her as kind, gentle, sincere, sweet, thoughtful, warm, generous, supportive, unselfish, and most of all having a wonderful sense of humor and quick wit. We will learn from her always positive, cheerful outlook and her courage in battling her illness.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a Celebration of Life memorial will be held at a later date. Contributions can be made in Yoko’s memory to the American Lung Association as a Tribute Gift at lung.org.