Chizuko Murata Watkins

1928 - 2021

Our mother, Chizuko Murata Watkins "Obaachan", was born in Yokohama, Japan on August 27, 1928. She lived an amazing 92 years, even through the fight of her life after contracting lung disease at the age of 80. Her positive attitude and her sheer will to get better brought her through in ways no one imagined. Her life was full and fulfilled. She passed away on July 24, 2021. Her circle was wide as she touched many people, and she will be greatly missed. This obituary is but part of her story.

Chizuko grew up south of Tokyo, one of 10 children (5 boys and 5 girls) of Hitoshi and Seki Murata. In 1946 at the age of 18, a chance meeting and instant attraction to Clifford Watkins, whose army truck broke down near their family home in what was then a farm community, forged an unlikely union that, while romantic, would test the cultural norms. Two years later, against anything familiar or accepted at that time, Chizuko, having been promised to another at birth, not only married outside of the Japanese race but married an American soldier who was Black - the first Black man she'd ever seen. In 1952, with a two-year-old daughter in tow, not having any idea of what lay ahead, Chizuko set sail across the Pacific on what was, in retrospect, a bold and courageous journey toward hopes and dreams of life in the United States.

As she and Cliff settled in Massachusetts, Chizuko honed her skills as a mother. She gave birth to six more children and suffered the unthinkable heartache of losing one child, Constance, shortly after birth and another, Christopher, at age 10 in a tragic accident. All the while she worked two jobs outside the home. Chizuko was a natural leader - helping her Japanese war bride friends acclimate to their new found existence in a foreign country. She taught herself English, became a citizen and did everything she could to make sure that her children were educated, including converting to Catholicism as a means to a parochial education, which at the time was deemed the best.

She excelled at everything she did, always doing more than required, a trait she instilled in her children. She quickly learned that her half Black offspring were not always accepted as worthy by others, nor was she for that matter, but that would never be an excuse for under achieving. She would fight for them to be treated fairly in a world where, as she was often reminded, one's value was marked by the color of your skin.

Respect and humility were key values that she lived by, and family meant everything to her. Though she was humble, she took great pride in her children and their accomplishments - a pride that was multiplied through her 16 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. She wore the title of Obaachan (grandmother) well and this would become her most prominent name by those inside and outside the family.

When her marriage ended in 1982, Chizuko made another courageous decision, to relocate to the Bay Area. It was everything she wanted - a more open social setting where she could be closer to some of her children and a place that brought her closer to her Asian roots. She landed a job at Hewlett Packard where she thrived for 15 years. She finally really retired at age 70.

She was open to new ideas and liked learning new things. She used Skype to communicate with her siblings before it was popular. At 90, when she decided it was time for her to stop driving, she learned how to use Uber - okay, so we would have the occasional driver show up accidentally, but so be it!

She loved to travel and see other parts of the world. She LOVED Maui! She was known for being one of a few people to put 500 miles on a rental car while in Maui. She loved to explore and try new things. She loved her Buddhist faith and her membership with Seicho-No-le, her temple in San Jose. She studied its teachings fervently. Forgiveness was something she espoused and wanted to leave with us for further reflection. As one friend recently said, "Chizuko was courageous and strong; yet gentle and loving. Her family is her legacy, and the things she taught people will help make the world a better place."

Chizuko was well loved and is survived by her daughter, Caretha Coleman and her husband, Ken Coleman of Los Altos Hills, CA., her son, Clifford Watkins Jr., of Las Vegas, NV., her daughter, Cynthia Watkins of Henderson, NV., her daughter, Christine Richardson and her husband LeeRoy Richardson of Fremont, CA., and her son, Carl Watkins and his fiancé, Angel Jenkins of Brentwood, CA., in addition to the aforementioned numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grand children; as well as her two remaining brothers ( Shinji and Kouzou Murata, and three sisters (Kikuko Takahashi, Kimiko Sekine, and Taeko Kanoh) all in Japan, and a number of nieces and nephews and extended family and friends.

Besides her parents and her two children (mentioned above) Chizuko is preceded in death by three brothers and one sister (Yoshikata, Hideo, Fumio and Yukiko Murata), and her granddaughters Karen Coleman and Naia Scott.

A memorial in celebration of her life will be held on Friday, August 27th at Sharon Heights Country Club, Menlo Park. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make donations to one of the following organizations on her behalf, Seicho-No-le Northern California (her Buddhist temple) 777 N. 7th St., San Jose, CA 95112 tax id is 51-0194738 (408)294-7120 or Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Interventional Pulmonary Research, 795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301 tax id is 94-1156581