Tsuneo "Connie" Kaneshiro

1930 - 2020

Tsuneo "Connie" Kaneshiro
PEORIA — Tsuneo "Connie" Kaneshiro, 89, of Peoria passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, at UnityPoint Health-Proctor.
He was born on Nov. 3, 1930, in Maunaloa, Molokai, Territory of Hawaii, to the late Sakuro and Kana (Genka) Kaneshiro of Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii. He married Ruth Hiroko Nagata of Nago, Okinawa, Japan, in Peoria, Ill.
Surviving are his wife and four children: Tina M. (James) Fletcher of Ridgecrest, Calif.; Rachel M.(Jeffrey) Rogers of Peoria, Ill.; Timothy S. of Los Angeles, Calif.; and Dr. David K.(Stephanie) of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Also surviving are grandchild Kumiko A. Rogers and his two brothers (all living in Hawaii): John S. and Noriko (Tomoyose) of Kaneohe, and Bert T. and Beverly (Yamamoto) of Honolulu. Several nieces and nephews live throughout the USA. But predeceasing him were his brothers Eric and Herbert and wife Jean (Ishimura) and two sisters: Grace S. Yoshida of Torrance, Calif., and Clara E. Segawa of Cypress, Calif.
He graduated from U. Wis., Madison(B.S. and M.S.) mentor Prof. J. Simon; U. Calif. at Davis(Ph.D.) mentor Prof. A. G. Marr, and completed several post-doctoral fellowships at: Harvard U., Cambridge, Mass., mentor Prof. J. H. Law; and U. of So. Calif. Medical Sch., Los Angeles, Calif., mentor Prof. A. F. Brodie. His full time positions included Research lab technician at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco, Calif., and Research scientist (Supervisors Drs. F. Stodola, J. W. Newton, and M. E. Slodki) at the USDA Northern Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria. He was indebted and honored to be connected with the various research projects of these outstanding scientists. His career at NCAUR was his primary passion in life as a microbiologist, specializing in microbial lipid chemistry and nitrogen fixation in plant-microbial symbioses. He wished to express gratitude to the Agricultural Research Service (NCAUR) for creating a special Pioneer Lab in honor of Dr. Stodola and his outstanding work on penicillin.
Beside the work at NCAUR, he was most grateful for his ever-patient wife Ruth and compassionate four children. In retirement since 1995, his family life was made complete once again when the family came together as one, especially during the holidays. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Peoria.
Cremation will be accorded. A private service is planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a favorite charity of personal choosing. Davison-Fulton Woolsey-Wilton is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be made at www.woolsey-wilton.com.