October 31, 1929 – July 16, 2021
Julia Sato Nakamura passed away on July 16, 2021 in Torrance, CA with her son, Alan, by her side. She was the fourth of five children born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Ichiro and Kiyoe Sato.
Julia attended Robello Elementary, Central Intermediate (Core “M”), and Farrington High (‘47). She earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Hawaii in 1951, and a 5-Year Diploma from the Teachers College in 1952.
Julia was a dedicated, tireless teacher who taught for the Hawaii Department of Public Instruction for four years, and for the Los Angeles Unified School District (Cimarron Elementary, Gardena Elementary) for 31 years before retiring in 1989.
She married Bertram M. Nakamura in 1955, and gave birth to Alan in 1963. She and Bert were loving parents who supported all of Alan’s academic and athletic pursuits. They loved sports and attended numerous Dodger, USC, and Stanford games.
Julia enjoyed golf and was a club champion at Sea-Aire, where she had two holes-in-one. She traveled extensively, and even made pilgrimages to Augusta National, Notre Dame Stadium, and Rosenblatt Stadium – places she wished Bert also could have visited.
In retirement, Julia remained active in community organizations, and enjoyed reading, taking classes, solving crossword and Sudoku puzzles, and watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. She was a kind and considerate person who urged others to be safe (“Carry a whistle and a flashlight!”) and to be prepared (“Have an earthquake kit!”).
Julia loved music and was an accomplished piano and ukulele player. In recent years, she resided at Villa Sorrento and delighted in entertaining residents and staff with her repertoire of songs.
Julia is survived by her son, Alan; brother, Kenji; sister-in-law, Nadine; three nephews; and one niece.
Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, July 31 at 11:00 a.m. at the Gardena Buddhist Church. COVID precautions require attendees to be pre-registered. Please RSVP to Fukui Mortuary (213) 626-0441 due date by the morning of July 28.
In lieu of flowers, donations, or koden, please support public education to ensure that the teaching of core skills and traditional values is maintained or restored. Most of today’s challenges could be addressed or solved by principles that Julia taught to first graders.
www.fukuimortuary.com (213) 626-0441