Frank Hiroshi Soyejima, 98, passed away peacefully at his home on March 16, 2020. He was born in Long Beach, Calif., but was raised in Saga, Japan from the age of four. In the 1940’s, he was a student at Tokyo University where he studied aeronautical engineering & competed in kendo tournaments. He immigrated back to the U.S. in 1954 and attended graduate school for mechanical engineering at UCLA.
He worked for the City of LA as a mechanical engineer & later started a consulting business. In 1960, he married Setsuko (Nakashima), a pharmacist at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica and they had one daughter (Lisa). Frank relocated to Honolulu in 1997 after his retirement.
He enjoyed hobbies such as fishing, photography, traveling, Dodger baseball, watercolor, publishing Japanese poetry (Tanka), ceramics, “Go” (Japanese chess), tea ceremony, calligraphy, classical music and bird watching. He remained healthy and independent until the last month of his life.
Frank is survived by daughter, Lisa Soyejima-Nordstrom (Darryl); sister, Kazuko Yokoyama; and brother, Jim Soyejima.
A private service was held on June 26, 2020, in Honolulu. A private burial was held on April 1, 2022, at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes where he was laid to rest with his wife.