Amy Nagaki

1930 - 2023

Amy Nagaki
Sept. 30, 1930 - July 20, 2023
Amy "Emi" Nagaki sadly passed away July 20, 2023, at the age of 92. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother, remembered for her loving support, lively sense of humor, and wise, candid advice beginning with "You may not like to hear this, but I'm your mother…"
Amy, the youngest of four children, was born Sept. 30, 1930, in Bellevue, Wash. She lived with her parents Uichi and Fude (Oishi) Nishida and siblings Ichiro, Yujiro, and Haruko on the family farm. After the tragic drowning death of Yujiro, the family relocated to Wapato, Wash., where Amy remembers watching Ichiro playing baseball.
In June 1942, at the age of 11, Amy and her family were given six days' notice to dispose of their belongings except for what they could carry and report to the Portland, Ore., Assembly Center as part of the World War II U.S. Japanese Internment. After a brief stay at the converted Livestock Exposition Pavilion, Amy and other Washington internees were sent to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming, where they spent the next three years enduring the harsh winters and memorable sandstorms of the area.
In August 1945, Amy, then 14, with her sister, Haruko, were released as part of a resettlement program to Cleveland, Ohio. There she lived with a sponsor family and worked as a housekeeper and nanny, while finishing her final three years of school, graduating with honors from Shaker Heights High School.
On Dec. 3, 1949, Amy married the love of her life Yoshio Nagaki in Ontario, Ore. They lived on the Oregon slope, farming with his three older brothers and their families. Amy was a loving, dedicated mother of six and wife for Yosh, balancing raising the children, managing the household, gardening, and working on the farm. In 2003 they retired from farming and moved into town, and then in 2010 relocated to the Portland, Ore., Vancouver, Wash., area to be near more family. Amy was an accomplished seamstress and gardener, avid reader, and loved spending time with her extended family.
Amy was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 65 years, Yoshio Nagaki; their dear eldest daughter, Karen Sheedy; and Amy's parents; and siblings.
Survivors include children and their spouses, Carole and Chris Scheck, Gary Nagaki, Dick Nagaki and Leah Patterson, Gail Nagaki and David Lanham, Tom and Diane Nagaki, and Michael Sheedy; and grandchildren, Diana and Andrew, Heather and Katy, James, Carolyn, Allison, Kiko and Noelia, and Keith.
Amy was dearly loved, and she enriched the lives of her family and all who knew her. A private service celebrating her life will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023, at Lincoln Memorial Park, 11801 S.E. Mt. Scott Blvd., Portland, OR 97086. Memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, the American Diabetes Association, or the National Parkinson Foundation. The immediate family wishes to thank all of Amy's friends, family, and caregivers for their support and love.
Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits