Robert "Bob" KODAMA

KODAMA, Robert ''Bob''
Bob Kodama liked to tell people that his Japanese immigrant father tried to name him ''Lion''. He proved his father Satoru right. Bob led life with the combination of pride and protectiveness of a lion. Till death, he even retained a thick mane of hair.

While in high school, he was sent to Tule Lake, Topaz, and a farm in Idaho as part of the Japanese internment. At the end of WWII, he was drafted and helped close down German concentration camps. Bob then partnered with his family to rebuild their lost farming business. They eventually bought land in Yuba City. In 1949, he married Anne Inouye. They raised four children, Cindy Chaponot (Rick) (Honolulu), Greg (Norman, Ok), Nora Winkler (Len), and Diane. For twenty eight years, he reliably got crops to market and employed scores of men. After his early retirement, his wife Anne passed away after a sudden illness.

He found love again with Goldie whom he married in 1982. He became the loving grandfather of 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Having been uprooted by the internment, Bob had a special love for motorhoming which let him go as he pleased with Goldie and dog Genji. He also loved to fish and clam, often in the company of the Chinese Sportsmen's club. Until middle age, Bob was disciplinarian for farm, home, and even on family vacations. After retirement, he indulged a never-far-below-surface, gentle side. People remember him as patient and gentlemanly, someone who loved to step up and fix things.

He could have been bitter, but wasn't. Instead, he built around hard work and love for family. He made friends easily and left more than he took from life. After telling Goldie how much he loved her, he passed away at home in his sleep on October 22, 2010 at 86. The memorial service is private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Asian community center or Mercy Hospital Hospice.