AKIKO HIRANO

Howard Davis and Georgia Jones-Davis send condolences to Tim Wong. We are so sad to learn of the passing of your lovely wife, Akiko Hirano. We love our Japanese temple gate and haiku poem that we obtained at one of your shows before Covid. We are neighbors of Barbara Cochrin.

Dear Tim, having lost Karen last year, I can fully appreciate your grief at losing your dear sweet life partner. The greater the love, the greater the grief. I will never forget her sweet offer of tea when we came into the gallery and her love of and respect for the artists you so exquisitely represented. These memories will sustain you as you make your new life. With sympathy and respect. Andy Epstein

Dear Tim, I remember so well when we returned from Japan 25 years ago and discovered Touching Stone. It became Dale's and my favorite gallery; we never missed a show. We enjoyed conversations with you and with Akiko, both so knowledgeable, articulate, sensitive. Over the years our friendship grew over meals together; we heard about each others adventures; shared personal stories, then major health concerns, Dale's and Akiko's overlapping. You were a team. Your personal and professional...

To say that Akiko was exceptional and extraordinary is to try to capture an essence so unique, so profound and yet so luminous, light-hearted & witty. Akiko invested every thought, every gesture, every action with her own quiet dignity and joy. And who knew someone so private and reserved could still be such a delight, so outright funny ?! She will be derply mussed and remain with all who knew her, always.

Dear Tim, My deepest condolences on the passing of Akiko. Your tribute to her is so beautiful. Her sweetness and depth in all things she did is an inspiration of a life well lived. I´ll never forget the beauty of Touching Stone and her art work! with deep caring Katherine

We cherish the time we had over leisurely lunches, sharing stories of being in nature, exploring archeological sites and hiking adventures, and delving into the soul of an artist. Touching Stone Gallery was aptly named as it put so many Santa Feans in touch with the two of you as well as the contemporary aesthetic of Japanese ceramics. Tim, all of these interests speak to Akiko's authenticity and to the deep, eternal connection that the two of you shared. We grieve her passing while...

I visited your gallery often after we had the good fortune to move here in 1965. My husband joined the new campus of St. John´s College. I was drawn to your gallery during those fourteen years and visited it often. You gave me an understanding of the quality of your life together . Your beautifully expressed memory of her is captured by your words "aesthetic sense and inviolable ethic". I mourn your loss. Thank you both for enriching my life. Linda Hibbs