Yoshiko Dolejs

Yoshiko, "Yoshi" "Yoko" Yamamoto Dolejs, 77, of Jacksonville, died Wednesday, March 5th, 2025, at Carteret Health Care.
Mrs. Dolejs was born in Nago City, Okinawa, Japan to the late Koshin and Fusako (Higa) Yamamoto. She spent her younger years on the island, working on her family's farm with her 9 other siblings and taking on multiple odd jobs, to include working at the Orion Beer Factory which she had fond memories of. In the late '70s, while working as a server in a hotel's Chinese restaurant, she met her husband, a young Marine named Chuck Dolejs. They fell in love and later married in St. Augustine, Florida at the Fountain of Youth.
Shortly after, she was diagnosed with several life-threatening conditions. She was pregnant at the time, and the doctor gave her only a 10% chance to survive whether to save herself or her unborn child. She chose her child, and miraculously, after several challenging medical procedures, they both survived.
Despite her newfound illness and medical challenges, she continued to live a life as full as she could. As a military spouse, she joined her husband while being stationed in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Okinawa, Japan before settling in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She enjoyed fishing, playing games like mahjong or card games, and watching her favorite soap operas or Japanese baseball. She spent most of her days nurturing her vegetable and flower garden, enjoying time with her Shih Tzus, or bowling on Tuesday nights at the Bowlarena, with her team, "Yoko's Revenge," named in her honor. What she cherished most of all was being a Mom and later a Grandmother, expressing her love through cooking delicious heartfelt meals for her family.
Survivors include one son, Charles Matthew Dolejs and his wife, Lauren Saikkonen, of Jacksonville, NC; one brother, Yamamoto Kojin, Okinawa, JP; three sisters, Yamamoto Yayeko, Tokyo, JP; Sueishi Nobuko, Kanagawa, JP; Tsukamoto Mitsuko, Tokyo, JP; and two granddaughters, Lillian & Mina Dolejs.
She is predeceased by two sisters, Sakihama Atsuko, Okinawa, JP, Yamamoto Yeiko, Okinawa, JP; three brothers, Yamamoto Koken, Okinawa, JP, Yamamoto Kowa, Okinawa, JP, and Yamamoto Kosei, Okinawa, JP.
The family will accept friends from 5-7PM on Thursday, March 13th at Johnson Funeral Home. A funeral service for Yoshi will be at 12:30PM on Friday, March 14th at Johnson Funeral Home with Pastor Greg Dickerson officiating, followed by internment at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville. The family invites you to join them at Sake Asian Fusion, immediately following the Internment Service.
Johnson Funeral Home of Jacksonville is honored to serve Yoshi's family during this most difficult time.
Yoshi's funeral service will be live streamed, please visit the Tribute Wall for the link. In the case of connection issues, the recording will be uploaded following the service. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Yoshiko, please visit our floral store.