Sawako Kodama

KODAMA, Sawako - Passed away on October 15, 2005 at the age of 81. Born in Tokyo, Japan on May 21, 1924. The daughter of Kozo and Asa Neda, the grandaughter of Kenzo Nakamura, mayor of Morioka City, she attended Morioka Girls Public School. She spent her youth enjoying the beautiful Tohoku District countryside and was especially fond of Mount Iwate. After WWII, she married Toshihito Kodama and they had a son, Boku Yoshitada before immigrating to San Francisco where Toshihito worked as a Japanese language instructor at the Army Language School at the Monterey Presidio. They had a daughter, Katherine Hisako and lived in SF throughout the rest of her life. She is remembered by friends and relatives as being an elegant and gracious woman, who loved to read and write. She was a published poet. She was a longtime member of the Church of Perfect Liberty and enjoyed membership in the Iwate Prefecture Association. She lived a full and rewarding life surrounded by family. She spent many hours in their home in Sleepy Hollow tending the garden with Toshihito. She loved traveling to Hawaii with him to enjoy the people and the weather. But most of all, she loved being with her children and five grandchildren. She was immensely proud of them all. She is survived by her husband of 57 years Toshihito Kodama; her son Boku Yoshitada Kodama and his wife Donna Mark Kodama; her daughter Katherine Hisako Kodama and her husband, Michael Ward; and five grandchildren: Marcus Yoshio Kodama, Justin Yoshiji Kodama, Erin Yoshiko Kodama, Christopher Kodama Fong and Tobias Nathan Fong. She is also survived by a son from a previous marriage, Kazushige Nakamura of Morioka, Japan. A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, October 20, 2005, 7pm at Ashley & McMullen-Wing Sun Mortuary, 4200 Geary Blvd, SF, 415-751-8403. We will never forget your gentle voice, loving spirit and sweet, sweet smile.