HIROKO KEARNEY

1943 - 2025

Hiroko Kearney passed away on Tuesday, September 2nd at Mukilteo memory care nursing home.

Hiroko was born in Manchuria, China in 1943, and faced numerous challenges as a child. Born in the middle of World War 2, her family had relocated from Japan to China because Japan was being bombed and Japanese-occupied land in China was safer. Upon Japan's surrender, her situation suddenly became unsafe due to hostile relations between Japan and China at the time. Hiroko's grandmother was an exceptionally brave woman and risked everything by going to China to bring Hiroko, her mother, and her brother Ikuo back to Japan. Hiroko's father was drafted in World War 2 but did not return.

Life was difficult in Japan after World War 2, but Hiroko endured and grew to be strong and resilient like her grandmother. She met her future husband, Patrick, while he was in the navy and stationed in Japan. They married in 1965 and moved to Patrick's home state of Washington. They eventually settled in Everett.

Hiroko and Patrick had two sons, Michael and Bernard. The family enjoyed many happy years and good times. Both Hiroko and Patrick were heavily involved in their sons' sports activities but also stressed the importance of school. The family often went to see the Seahawks, Mariners, Huskies, and Sonics.

When Hiroko's two sons were still in grade school, she decided to go to college and graduated from University of Washington in 1982 with a degree in occupational therapy. Unfortunately, Patrick died in 1981 from a heart attack. Again, Hiroko faced numerous challenges, but being the resilient person that she was, she raised her teenage sons herself and sent them both to college. Hiroko set an excellent example for her sons by graduating college and teaching them to be hard-working and trustworthy.

Hiroko worked as an occupational therapist at Providence hospital in Everett for over 20 years. She was well-respected by her coworkers and made many lifelong friends. After retiring from Providence hospital in 2006, Hiroko went to work at Delta Rehab in Snohomish because she wanted to continue helping people.

Hiroko had a strong curiosity about the world and upon her retirement, she visited many different countries. She visited China, Australia, Peru, Mexico, Turkey, Ireland, Italy, and Thailand. She also made many return trips to Japan and remained close with her family there.

Hiroko will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and neighbors. She was well-known for her kindness, generosity, and friendly nature. She taught her children and grandchildren to study hard in school, work hard, and respect people of all different races and creeds.

Hiroko is survived by two sons, Michael and Bernard; her brother Ikuo; her sister Akeno; and two grandchildren, Justin and Rachel. She was preceded in death by her parents, Zenshiro and Ranko Hanawa, and by her husband Patrick.