Aiko Shimoda

Aiko Shimoda, age 91, of Chesterfield, MO passed away peacefully in the comfort and familiarity of home, on November 30, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. Aiko was born in Gunma-Ken, Japan to Jihei and Kura Horiguchi on September 2,1931. Beloved wife of Toshihiko (Shimo) for 66 years. Devoted mother of Kumiko Shimoda (Tim Temmen), Yoko Shimoda-Williams (Rick Williams), and Mako Shimoda (Mike Atkins). Cherished grandmother (Obaachan) of Pete, Dan, Chris, Blake, Sydney, Nick and Tyler.

Aiko was born on the family farm in Gunma-ken, Japan and was the second oldest of three sisters and two brothers. She spent her childhood and adolescent years helping her parents on the farm and tending to the rice fields. After finishing high school, she worked in the accounting department with a local trucking company. It was on her train ride to work where she met a charming, handsome man named Toshihiko, who was also riding the train to and from work. They married in 1955 and moved to Tokyo to continue with their careers.

Her husband Shimo moved to St. Louis in 1959 for a job opportunity, and Aiko moved from Tokyo to join him in 1962 to begin her journey in a new country. Aiko was a devoted wife and mother who raised three daughters in a country that was foreign to her. She spoke very little English, however over the years, she worked hard to learn the language, and adapted well to the American lifestyle while still maintaining many Japanese customs. When Aiko and her husband Shimo decided to make the U.S. their permanent home, they both attained their U.S. citizenship in 1997.

Aiko became a true homemaker, displaying her talents of cooking, gardening and sewing clothes for her daughters and their Barbie dolls. Once her 3 daughters were in school, Aiko put her sewing talents on display by working as a seamstress in the St. Louis area.

She was also a math wizard and had amazing organizational skills to keep the Shimoda household finances in order. Her fingers moved with extraordinary speed with her trusty abacus as she balanced the checkbook.

Aiko was a passionate Cardinal baseball fan and loved watching Sumo wrestling tournaments on Japanese cable TV. Who wouldn’t enjoy watching big jiggly men wrestle?! She also loved playing mahjong games with her close circle of Japanese friends.

Aiko was a strong woman who dedicated her life to her family. She instilled in her daughters a hard working mentality, a great degree of resourcefulness, strong-minded independence, and that it was ok to eat cake for breakfast. Aiko was preceded in death by her husband Shimo by 26 days. December 11, 2022 would have been their 67th wedding anniversary. Instead of spending it apart, they will be celebrating it together and forever. We love you both and will miss you dearly. Rest in Peace.

Services: Services private. In lieu of flowers/If desired, contributions may be made to Missouri Botanical Gardens Japanese Garden, The University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine or University of Missouri-Columbia School of Nursing. As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.