Mitsu Akiyama Sundvall

1937 - 2015

BORN

1937

DIED

2015

Mitsu Sundvall Obituary

Name: Celebration of Life for Mitsu Akiyama Sundvall
Start: 2015-10-10T20:00:00.000Z
End: 2015-10-10T23:00:00.000Z
Location: Elim Baptist Church

Mitsu Akiyama Sundvall

Mitsu Akiyama Sundvall passed away on August 30, 2015 at the age of 78. She was born January 29, 1937 in Oakland, California to Ichiro and Beni (Ogawa) Akiyama. At various times a resident of the Bay Area, New York City, and Seattle, she leaves behind countless friends and family members from coast to coast. Preceded in death by loving husband, Herbert Sundvall. Mother to sons Eric (Danielle) Sundvall of Seattle, and Jesse (Janet) Sundvall of Austin, Texas, and daughter Nina Sundvall of Shoreline. Beloved grandmother of Oshay Rhodes, and Raymond and Russell Sundvall.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held Sat., October 10th from 1:00-4:00 pm at Elim Baptist Church, 2410 N. 46th St., Seattle.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Seattle Times on Sep. 27, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Mitsu Sundvall

Sponsored by The Family.

8 Entries

Jan

September 21, 2024

I still miss her.

Jan

September 21, 2022

I think of Mitsu and her wonderful sense of humor and I hope the stories she wrote can someday be published as a full collection.

Jan Maher

July 29, 2016

Several of us who were in a writing group with and named by Mitsu, Women Who Write Too Much, are putting together a memorial honoring her writing. We invite any who knew her as a writing colleague, or who read her stories or saw/heard them performed, or simply knew and loved her to join us.

We'll read some of her stories and share memories Sunday, August 7, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Seattle Buddhist Betsuin Temple, 1421 South Main St. We'll be in the cafeteria/dining room; the entrance is behind the temple building. Plenty of parking available.

P Anna Johnson

July 28, 2016

Mitsu took an active part in the peace movement. I used to see her at the meetings of Seattle Women Act for Peace (SWAP) and always appreciated her gentle countenance.

Elizabeth Garfield

July 26, 2016

I have Mitsu's dry wit, poetic prose,and love of family forever in my heart.

I got to know her in the writing group, Women Who Write Too Much. The group stopped meeting but I enjoyed seeing her at random times; the opening of the peace park at Seattle Center was one of those. I went to hear her read at the Jack Straw presentation at Bumbershoot where she read something she began in our Women Who Write Too Much group.

Her wit is evident in her design we had printed on our T shirt. It read, Women Who Write (too many) (too long) (too big) Too Much. All the words I have put in parentheses were struck with a line through them. On the back of the tee shirt it read: "It was a totally fantastically dark and moreover viciously stormy night..."

Whenever I saw her she always reminisced about the time my son at age 5, proudly showed her our Christmas tree, how he gazed at it and commented, "It doesn't get any better than this." She got such a kick out that.

Mitsu was such a kick herself! I am sad she is gone.

May 24, 2016

Mitsu and I attended the Artist Trust EDGE Program for Writers. But I used to see her at various literary events in the city and at Hedgebrook writers events. I only heard about her death very recently and was very saddened by the news.

She was an active member in Seattle's literary community and some of us are discussing the possibility of honoring her memory. We loved hearing excerpts from her memoir and encouraged her to complete it and get it published.

I extend loving thoughts to her family.

Loreen Lilyn Lee

October 13, 2015

Every time I shared with Mitsu was an unusual situation: at a Poets on the Peaks event at a fire lookout with Herb and others; at A Book about Death reading, where she read a moving piece about a friend; and the Row to Canada ALS Fundraiser event on Camano Island. She was one for unusual events, close to literature and the arts. She will be sorely missed.

Rick Clark

Sister Amy, Mitsu & Amelia

Amelia Akiyama

September 29, 2015

I will miss my girl's phone calls. "Hola, buenos dias", she would say. "How's my familia?" I'll miss her visits to our home and our quiet conversations and drinking Green Tea by the fireplace. She was the type of listener that would ask "how are you doing" and wait to hear your answer.
My husband, her brother Kenny and I loved to run around Berkeley and San Francisco, checking out new restaurants in the area. For the past 36 years, I have been so proud of being part of this family. I miss my hermana (sister). Love you, Amelia Akiyama.

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