Minoru Inadomi

Minoru Inadomi passed away after a long illness at the age of 93 on September 24, 2024, in Costa Mesa, California. He was at home with family, as he desired.

Born on October 1, 1930, in Fillmore, California to John Kaichiro Inadomi and Mitsuyo (née Ogawa) Inadomi, Minoru grew up in Fillmore before being interned with his family during WWII first at the Tulare Assembly Center in California and then at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona. After internment, he and his family lived briefly in Brighton, Colorado before returning to California where he graduated from Fillmore High School.

Minoru graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1951, with highest honors in Economics and while working for the family grocery business. He was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and was drafted to serve in the US Army after completing his first semester. Serving in the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps at Fort Holabird in Maryland, he rose to rank of Sergeant and completed his tour in 1955. He returned to Berkeley Law on a scholarship and the GI Bill, graduated in 1958, and became the first Japanese American to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal Division.

He opened a law practice in Orange County in 1961 and spent much of his career as a partner at Forgy, Thamer & Inadomi, retiring after more than 45 years. Throughout, Minoru continued work with the family grocery business, JonSons Markets, in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and also launched and grew other family businesses. Minoru volunteered his time and expertise and served as President of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) of Orange County, and Board Trustee of the Claremont School of Theology, the Southern California - Arizona Conference of the Methodist Church, the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, and as a member of the Berkeley Law Alumni Board.

Minoru married Tayeko Noda on August 29, 1959, in Los Angeles after meeting her at the West Los Angeles Community Methodist Church years prior and after many memorable dates at Nu-Ways in West LA. His greatest pleasure was spending time with his family at Lake Arrowhead, in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas, and on the Big Island of Hawai'i. He enjoyed playing chess, tennis and golf, and trout fishing. He was an avid reader - especially interested in the Civil War and its impacts on America - and led regular family discussions around the dinner table on issues like time travel and the nature of the universe.

Survivors include his wife, Tayeko Inadomi, daughter Elizabeth Inadomi, sons John (Kristine Frassett) Inadomi and David (Carol Cornejo) Inadomi, grandchildren Mikaela, Isabel, Matthew, Nicholas, Christopher, and Eric, sisters Taduko Inadomi and Grace Naruse and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by brother Yoshiharu Inadomi and sisters Chiyeko Chen and Lilly Sasaki.

A celebration of Minoru Inadomi's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on December 7, 2024, at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, 1701 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, California. Casual attire is encouraged. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, the American Cancer Society, a Parkinson's charity or a charity of choice.