Sakae Shirane

Sakae Shirane passed away peacefully at the age of 98 at Jefferson's Ferry Retirement Community, South Setauket, New York on March 31, 2025, surrounded by her close family. Sakae Shirane was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, a pianist, and an active and beloved member of the Bellport community on Long Island, New York.
Born Sakae Uchiyama in Tokyo on July 31, 1926, she was the youngest of six siblings and raised in Tokyo, where she went to Joshi-gakuin High School and Tokyo Women's University. In 1950, she married Gen Shirane, a physicist, who soon went to the Penn State University to do scientific research. In 1952, she traveled by cargo ship and train, with her one-year old son Haruo, to join her husband in State College, PA. They subsequently lived in Pittsburg, PA and in 1963 moved to Bellport, NY.
Sakae was an accomplished musician. She began playing the piano from age four, studied under Joseph Rosenstock, pianist and director of the Japan Symphony Orchestra, and toured Japan as a professional accompanist. In Bellport, she gave private piano lessons and accompanied hundreds of young musicians in recitals and auditions. For many years she sang alto in the BAFFA Chorus and Long Island Choral Festival. In her spare time, over a span of fifteen years, she earned her associates degree from Suffolk Community College and bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Stonybrook University.
Sakae loved gardening and playing tennis with her husband, friends and guests. She was a excellent cook and hosted many visiting scientists and their families from Japan, Europe, and around the world. Sakae and Gen frequently lived abroad for months at a time when he was doing research; they spent time in Norway, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. Sakae is predeceased by her dear husband Gen (d. 2005) and is survived by her two sons, Haruo Shirane (Tomi) and Tutch Shirane (Early), her grandchildren Seiji Shirane (Yuki), Kyoko Mickens (Ricardo), and Sumiko Fantl (Max), and her seven great-grandchildren – Damyen, Avery, Maiya, Jordan, Issey, Hazel, and Olive.
A celebration of her life is being planned for August 23rd in Bellport, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the South Country Education Foundation.