Mutsuye (Sakamoto) Ikebe

1921 - 2014

Mutsuye (Kawanami) (Sakamoto) Ikebe
April 5, 1921 - Jan. 7, 2014
Resident of San Jose
Known as Muts, Mitsi, Mutsu, or Mom, Mutsuye was born in San Jose to the large and close-knit
Kawanami family that farmed in the Santa Clara Valley. During World War II, when Mom was in her early
20s, her family was relocated to an internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming. She pursued work
outside of the relocation camp but also worked at the camp USO and dry goods store, where she met
fellow San Jose native Dave Sakamoto (Dad). Dad worked in Chicago during the war and was visiting
his family at the Heart Mountain camp. Mom and Dad married in 1946 in Gary, Indiana and lived in
Chicago until after the birth of their son, Dennis. After moving back to California to help care for family
re-establishing their lives post-WWII, they welcomed daughters Jill and Carole. Dad opened Dave's
Valley Drug Store, which he and Mom operated until his death in 1970. In 1980, as her retirement
years approached, Mom married Tots Ikebe from Mountain View, who had three grown children of his
own, Steve, Ron and Sue. Like our Dad, Tots was an avid fisherman, and he and Mom spent many days
together fishing at the beach or on a trip to Alaska, clamming at Pismo Beach with family, taking RV
trips, growing beautiful vegetables, smoking the salmon that Tots caught, and cooking for all who came
by. Tots passed away in 2010 at the age of 94.
Throughout her life, Mom's central focus was her family, and she thrived on having her siblings as her
best friends. She was known for driving them to tears of laughter with her stories. Mom was preceded
in death by her parents, Torakichi and Momoyo Kawanami, sisters Tomoye (Shig) Yamane, Yoshie
(Yas) Yamauchi, Kay (Jim) Machida, Dollie (Tom) Nishida, and Dorie (Mich) Nakamura, and brothers
George (Martha), Ernie, and Franklin Kawanami. She is survived by her sister Mari (Carl) Somekawa
in Minnesota, in-laws Tom Nishida and Martha Kawanami, many nieces and nephews, stepchildren
Steve, Ron and Sue Ikebe, and her beloved children Dennis, Jill and Carole (Steve Bean) Sakamoto and
grand-daughter Naomi Arnold. Yu-Ai Kai, Japanese American Community Senior Service, provided
transportation and lunch for many years, and so in lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate
donations to Yu-Ai Kai, 599 N. Fourth Street, San Jose, CA 95112. A memorial service will be held at the
San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 N. 5th
Street, San Jose, CA on February 1 at 2:00.