Michiko Nagao

Michiko Nagao was born in Tokyo, Japan on December 19th, 1932 to Shinzo Nagao and Suzu Nagao. She was their second daughter of an eventual family of 2 sons and 4 daughters. Michiko passed away at her oldest daughter's home in Smithfield, Utah on November 6th, 2023.
Michiko was the last surviving member amongst her siblings. Michiko is survived by her four children (spouses/partners) - Diana (Travis), Chak (Youngjoo), Sally (Brian), and Alan (Leigh), four grandchildren - Joshua (Vivian), Hitomi, Mia, and Lucas, and one great-granddaughter Niamh.
Michiko pursued a traditional educational path and graduated from an international cooking school and a women junior college. She was talented and excelled with traditional Japanese dance, calligraphy, sewing, and design. She was also smart and beautiful - a winner of a Tokyo beauty pageant. Michiko and her husband, Che Heng Tan, met in Tokyo and began their marriage with a traditional Japanese ceremony on the 26th of November, 1959. The young couple relocated to Hong Kong in the early 60s and built up a happy family of six. In the summer of 1975, the whole family immigrated to the United States. The family became naturalized citizens of the United States of America in 1981.
Michiko was a vibrant and active person, often going for walks, participating in social activities, and interacting with her family. Michiko loved nature and had a keen eye for wildlife and foliages, often alerting us to their presence and commenting on their wild color and shapes. She also enjoyed making and eating good food, and left her children a dilemma as they search for dishes with the same name but find them lacking that special taste of her home cooking. Later in life, Michiko grew to be an avid fan of the Utah Jazz basketball team after having watched many games on the television with Che Heng. She openly admitted with a smile though, while the games can be fun and exciting, she watched because she finds some of the players handsome.
Michiko's last residence will be at the Salt Lake Cemetery. She will be buried close to Che Heng, in a space with a great view of the valley and nature.