December 6, 1924 – March 4, 2026
Tsutomu Kawaratani was born to Otokichi and Hisa (Murata) Kawaratani in San Juan Capistrano, California. He passed away peacefully on March 4, 2026, in his home with family.
He grew up farming in San Clemente, Trabuco Canyon area, where his father and brothers would build their house, dismantle it when they lost the leases, and rebuild it at their next farm, several times. Thus, he became very good at doing all the repairs needed on our house. He said he studied very hard in school so he would not be a farmer when he grew up.
At Tustin High School, he played 3 years as basketball guard on Team D. Attended UCLA Engineering at age 16. Was locked into Poston 1, Ariz. internment camp Barrack D at 17. In U.S. Army, Tsutomu worked in civil engineering as typist. Having received his honorable discharge and thanks to the GI Bill paying expenses, he returned to UCLA, then UC Berkeley to finish his Chemical Engineering BS, and his Masters in Chem. Engineering 2 phase fluid flow.
He started enjoying fishing at 10 years old. It was a big treat when his father would take them fishing near San Clemente, using a 6-ft.-long bamboo pole. They would also dig up clams, pry abalone off rocks, catch octopi by pouring salt into the hole they’d pop into until they came back out.
Days after Atsuko Mary Rose Furuya earned her BS in nursing at Nazareth College and Burgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, Mich., she and Dad got married, with cake in the school dormitory. Their honeymoon was driving their new Ford car back to California, where Dad worked at the Richford Oil Co. refinery in Wilmington. His Chemical Engineering Group designed lubricants, liquid detergents, etc. using side products from the oil refinery process. He met with the VPs of the Richford and Atlantic oil companies for their merger into ARCO.
When Dad retired, he and Mom had started ballroom dancing. There is a video posted online of him dancing at 97 years old. He also golfed with the Nisei Golf Group in tournaments.
Dad would go deep sea fishing about 5 times a year. We looked forward to feasting on a mountain of sashimi, piled up half as high as the dinner plate was wide. He took us lake fishing for blue gill, crappy, catfish and trout. He went sand dab fishing on the Mardiosa off Long Beach with all 3 of his children catching many sand dab. He passed just 6 days later. We are very thankful for having Dad with us all these years. He was a wonderful role model for us. Tsutomu is survived by his children, Takeshi, Yumi Kushi (Takashi), Sumi Kawaratani (Lee); grandsons, Ryan and Justin Kushi.
Funeral services will be held April 13, 2026, 10 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 10800 Moorpark St., N. Hollywood, CA.
In lieu of koden, donations to SEJSCC be made “In Memory of Tsutomu Kawaratani”
www.fukuimortuary.com (213) 626-0441