Sonia Inoue

1952 - 2022

Sonia Wesson Whitin Inoue, age 70, of Colchester Vermont, died peacefully and surrounded by her loved ones on Thursday August 25, 2022 at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester. Born on February 8th 1952 in Princeton, New Jersey, Sonia was the second child and eldest daughter born to Professor Thomson McLintock Whitin and Edith Osborn Sherer Whitin. Sonia's childhood memories were primarily rooted in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and branched out to different corners of the U.S. and Europe.

Sonia's passion for language and culture emerged at a young age, influenced by her parents' love for travel. Sonia's curiosity and excitement for higher learning led her to undertake language studies at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received the Scott Prize for undergraduate excellence in French, and where she discovered her love for Japanese culture. A trail blazer with an adventurous spirit, Sonia set sails for Japan to teach English shortly after completing her Bachelor of Arts in 1974. She settled in Tokyo for over twenty years, married her husband Hiroshi, and raised her two beloved daughters, Emilie and Aya. Throughout her time in Japan, Sonia prided herself in her career as a middle and high school English teacher, finding great reward in providing mentorship to countless Japanese students over time. In 2001 Sonia moved from Japan to Florida where she found her second career as a certified massage therapist and reflexologist. While immersing herself in the study of healing arts, she found some of her greatest, lasting friendships, especially that of her second husband, Clint Holley. Their warm and loving life together began outside of Gainesville and lasted through Sonia's final days in Vermont where they moved in 2021 surrounded with love and close to family.



Brave and a fighter, Sonia fought a fierce and honorable battle against lung cancer for two and a half years, far exceeding her original prognosis of only months to live. After repeated cycles of chemotherapy, Sonia recognized when it was time to rest. Instead of being consumed by a fear of death, she took advantage of every moment, sharing her favorite memories, greatest regrets, and her proudest achievements, while instilling personal wisdom with her loved ones. As she reminisced about her journey with cancer only a week before she passed away, Sonia said that while she did not feel ready to say

goodbye, she would not do things over again, observing that after 25 years of living apart, her illness had reunited her with both daughters and their spouses.



Sonia leaves behind her husband Horace (Clint) Holley, Jr., and her two daughters, Emilie Inoue (Christa Mordoff) and Aya Inoue (Eric Segalstad) of Colchester, Vermont. Additionally, she leaves behind her younger sister and best friend, Holly Watson Whitin (Crans-Montana, Switzerland), her older brother Charles and wife Sally Whitin (Little Compton, Rhode Island), her younger brother Richard Whitin (Middletown, Connecticut), her niece Sophie Whitin (Brooklyn, New York), her dearest four-legged canine companion, Winnie, and many Whitin and Sherer cousins. At Sonia's request a memorial service was not held. A private burial will be held in Little Compton, Rhode Island at a later date.



Memorial donations in Sonia's name can be made to the McClure Miller Respite House, where she found peace and passed away without pain and suffering in her final days.  https://www.uvmhomehealth.org/donations/make-an-online-donation/



"The wave does not need to die to become water. She is already water." Thich Nhat Hanh