SAN JOSE — Roy’s Station Coffee and Teas in San Jose Japantown posted the following message on June 7:
“We wish to thank everyone for their good wishes, and happy remembrances of our father and grandfather, Roy Murotsune. 95 years is a good long run, and he was in the best of spirits when he got called to the great baseball diamond in the sky. In fact, he was sitting at the kitchen table, ready to enjoy a steak dinner, awaiting the Giants vs. Dodgers game, when he simply fell asleep.
“He even had just received his driver’s license renewal in the mail the day before. Which means he theoretically could have been driving up to Reno until 2026, his 101st birthday!
“As per his wishes, no services will be held. Instead, we ask that everyone enjoy bowling a couple frames at 4th Street Bowl, spend time to talk story with some friends and family, or yes, even cheer on the L.A. Dodgers, all in his memory.
“His wife of 65 years, Esther, is doing the best she can, but misses her Joker, the man who remembered everything and kept her laughing with his jokes and stories.
“We feel fortunate to have his pride and legacy still alive at his corner, Roy’s Station. Japantown was always his homebase, and we know he’ll be missed.”
Roy’s Station first announced Murotsune’s passing on May 29, saying that the business would be closed for a few days and would reopen on June 1.
Located at the corner of 5th and Jackson streets, the coffee shop stands on the site of a gas station owned and operated by Murotsune and his brothers for decades, with a family-owned diner next door. Murotsune and his wife retired in 1990 and the site was vacant until Roy’s Station opened in 2009. Family members continuing their parents’ and grandparents’ legacy through the coffee shop included daughter Carol Rast, son-in-law Frank Rast, and their children Jasmine, Tamiko and Miles.
For more information, visit: https://www.roysstation.com/