Yoshie Nickie Iwasa Service March 27th 2010
Auntie Yonchan's service was held at her church, Pilgrim Lutheran, in Santa Monica California. Thanks to Rick Numamoto for supplying these pictures. Wayne delivered the Eulogy, to see a copy click here.
Two pictures from the front of the chapel: (L) one of all the second generation Nakatas and (R) Auntie Yonchan and Doc Iwasa.
Seated in the front row were: Ralph, Betsy, Meredith, and Lynn. In the second row are Wayne, Judy, Joy, and Karen.
Karen spoke about her grandmother...
as did Joy.
Wayne delivered the Eulogy.
Lindy Groban (Josh's Mom) also spoke about Auntie.
This stained glass was donated to the church by Auntie after Doc Iwasa's death. At every Sunday service she sat beneath it.
At the reception....
a video of Auntie was shown. The Friday before her passing, she went to dinner with her neighbors. Later she showed them how to spit shine a pair of shoes!
Her neighbors and other members of her church spoke at her service. She will be greatly missed by al
Yoshie (Nicky) Iwasa Eulogy March 27, 2010
Here is the Eulogy to be read by Wayne at Auntie Yonchan's service:
"A tribute to Yoshi (Nicky) Iwasa: Nicky was born in Winslow, on Bainbridge Island, Washington, on January 12, 1914. She passed away in Santa Monica, on March 17, 2010, at the age of 96. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Kyoichi Iwasa in 1952.
Nicky spent her formative years growing up in Winslow as the third child with her two sisters and four brothers. They lived above their parents’ laundry and barbershop and in 1924, when she was 10, the family purchased a strawberry farm on Bainbridge Island where they all worked together. After graduating from high school, she attended Columbus Nursing School in Seattle, Washington. After graduation she worked in the medical field where she met her future husband, and after their marriage, they settled in Northern California, where her husband began his private medical practice. In October, 1941, their first son, Ralph, was born. With the outbreak of WWII, the family was evacuated to the Japanese relocation camp, Manzanar, near Death Valley, California. Here Nicky made many lifelong friends, as well as adding to her family in December, 1942, with the birth of their second son, Lynn. Although the years in Manzanar were considered a dark chapter in the lives of the internees, Nicky was proud of the fact that she was part of this piece of history and enjoyed providing first person narratives of this experience.
Upon being released from Manzanar, the young family moved to Chicago, Illinois, for a few years, and then in 1946 they moved to the Los Angeles area, where her husband again established his private medical practice, and they purchased the house where Nicky lived until her death. Very soon after they moved there, Nicky and her husband became members of Pilgrim Lutheran Church, whose pastor was Reverend Treggor. Pilgrim Lutheran Church has always been a huge part of Nicky’s life. Nicky’s husband passed away in 1952, and the funeral service was held in this church. Nicky was devoted to the memory of her husband and donated the “Good Samaritan” window as a tribute to him. Also noteworthy is that Nicky’s sons were both baptized and confirmed by Pastor Treggor.
Once Ralph and Lynn finished their formal schooling and left the nest in the 1960’s, Nicky’s life took off and soared. Ralph and Lynn met their spouses, Diane and Meredith, providing Nicky with five grandchildren. She began traveling the country and the world, always making stops in foreign countries where Lynn was located for periods of time. Of particular note was a visit to Israel, where the family had a memorable tour of the Via Della Rosa led by Sister Rafael of the Orphanage on the Mount of Olives on a glorious Good Friday afternoon.
Among the most important people in her life, outside of her family, have been her numerous friends in the community and the Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Since her passing, Ralph and Lynn were astounded by the number of friends Nicky has, as evidenced by cards, letters, phone calls, and her little black book. She was blessed with caring and loving neighbors who watched over her on a daily basis during her later years. In particular within her neighborhood, Aiko Harada and Dan Oliva should be thanked for providing Nicky with daily companionship, support, and a hearty good laugh. Just five days before her death, Dan made a video recording of Nicky showing him how to spit shine his shoes, which will be shown during the reception after this service. We would like to thank Josh Groban and his mother and father for the friendship they have shown Nicky. This provided great joy for her in telling her family and friends of this friendship and attending some of his concerts with them.
I always admired her expression of the Japanese word “gaman”, which means perseverance and persistence without complaint through difficulties, during the years that she was a single working mom raising her two sons from their pre-teen years through all their schooling. I appreciated her intelligence, quick sense of humor, and that she was such a great cook, always providing wonderful meals when we visited her.
Nicky’s family wishes to thank all
of her friends and family for their unselfish kindness and love. She was truly
in everyone’s thoughts and prayers and was, indeed, an extremely fortunate
woman."