Henry Mitani

Henry 'Hank' Mitani
POCATELLO - Henry 'Hank' W. Mitani, 86, Passed away peacefully Saturday, October 27, 2012, at a local hospital.
Hank was born April 7, 1926, to Masatoshi and Istu Mitani in Kimberly, Idaho. He graduated from Jerome High School in 1944. He was a member of J. Club and the Boxing Club.
He met Betty Jo English in 1954, and they were married on January 8, 1955, in California. They had five children, Dwayne, Mickey, David, Marvin and Phyllis. Hank and Betty divorced August 27, 1968. Hank met Arlene Wilson at Tough Guy Lanes in the Spring of 1980, and they were married December 20, 1980, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hank's sisters June, Aki, and Micki, were their witnesses.
Hank started out as a farmer in Jerome, Idaho. He later became a mechanic on farm equipment in Jerome. He moved to Pocatello, Idaho, in 1963, to work road construction. He liked Pocatello so he moved his family there in 1964. He got a job at Tough Guy and Karen Lanes as a mechanic. He soon got a job at Simplot Gay Mine, where he worked until he retired after putting in 27-plus years there.
Hank loved to bowl and was a member of the Idaho Scratch Bowling Assn. (ISBA). He bowled for many years and had many awards. He enjoyed fishing and hunting. He liked to take trips with his wife and her sister, Sandy, and brother-in-law, Gene. He loved to take gambling trips with his family and he really loved playing the Keno slot machines. Hank also loved to play table and card games with his family.
Hank enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Henry is survived by his children, Dwayne Mitani, David Mitani, Marvin Mitani, Phyllis (Jeff) Henson, and stepson, Nelson Parsons, all of Pocatello, and Mickey (Susan) Mitani of Bellevue, Nebraska; brothers, John (Suzie) Mitani of Jerome, Idaho, Bob (Gloria) Mitani of Greeley, Colo., Ben (Yolanda) Mitani of Las Vegas, Nev., Joe Mitani of Gardena, Calif; sisters, Alice Nakagama of Redondo Beach, Calif., June (Kiyo) Tomoike of Torrance, Calif., Micki Masuda of Lomita, Calif., Aki Shimzu of Stevenson Ranch, Calif., and Sherri (Carl) Miura of Cerritos, Calif.; eight grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren. Hank was preceded in death by his parents, Masatoshi and Istu Mitani, beloved wife, Arlene Mitani, brothers, Frank Mitani and Fred Mitani.
Services for Hank will be held on Friday, November 2, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Colonial Funeral Home, 2005 S. Fourth Ave., with a visitation held on Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m.. as well as one hour prior to services on Friday. Private family urn burial will take place on Saturday.
Condolences may be given to the family online at www.Colonial-FuneralHome.com.