WARREN MINAMI Obituary

MINAMI WARREN NORI MINAMI Warren Nori Minami, of Potomac, MD, passed away in Bethesda, MD on January 9, 2022 from complications resulting from Covid-19. He was 83 years old. Dr. Minami held a PhD in business administration from American University and was a retired senior executive with the International Monetary Fund. Born in San Francisco in 1938, as a child he was interned at the Gila River Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II. After being released from the camp in 1943, his family moved to Detroit and then settled in Washington, DC in 1945. He is also an alumnus of Woodrow Wilson HS in Washington, DC and San Jose State College in California. He served as an Air Force officer from 1962 to 1965. As a young man, he won numerous awards competing in judo, in which he held a third-degree black belt. He was a member of San Jose State's storied judo team, competed for a spot on the US Olympic judo team when the sport was introduced in 1964 and took first place in the 165-pound division of the Air Force Worldwide Judo Championship in 1965. He enjoyed playing chess, cards and golf, and served as the president of the board of the Bretton Woods Recreation Center. Dr. Minami was also actively involved in the Asian American community and served in numerous leadership roles. He was on the board of governors of the Japanese American National Museum, was the chair of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation, was appointed to the Maryland Governor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs in the Ehrlich administration, and was a longtime member of many professional, sports and civic organizations, including the Japanese American Citizens League and the Japanese American Veterans Association. He is survived by his wife, Carol A. Henry-Minami; his children, Wayde R. Minami (Christie), Kristine M. Minami (John Conger), W. Douglas Minami, Peter C. Puleio II, Stephanie M. Puleio (Aaron Whittier), Susan A. Puleio (Larry Shea), and Carla M. Minami; brothers Wayne H. Minami (Arlene) and W.D. "Denny" Minami (Ida); and grandchildren Peyton M. Elmendorf, Alexander R. Puleio, Addison P. Puleio, Gavin M. Puleio, Emersyn A.G. Puleio, and Conner J.F. Minami. He is remembered well by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, his aunt, and friends around the world. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Henry K. Minami and Claire F. Minami. A memorial service is planned for a later date. Please visit https://www.forevermissed.com/warren-minami/ for memorial information and to share remembrances.

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Published by The Washington Post on Jan. 16, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for WARREN MINAMI

3 Entries

Karima Yataghene

Planted Trees

Charlie Blose

January 19, 2022

I first met Warren in the late 70s early 80s when I joined American Security Bank in DC; I was in IT heading up the application area and he was head of the retail banking area. We were installing new banking applications and Warren was one of my primary users. There was a problem with the new installment loan system in that we could not get it to balance with our old system. Warren´s team and my team worked hard and long to try to identify the issue as we had a hard deadline for installation due to some legal requirements that the new system addressed but the old system did not. After much work we found that the problem was a difference in how the 2 systems computed interest over a weekend. Both teams were tired and frustrated with trying to identify the issue, but we worked together to get it done. This teamwork was in large part due to Warren´s positive attitude and patience toward solving the problem; although he was a demanding task master.
Our next major encounter was working together to implement an ATM system for the Bank. I remember Warren going around to the branches to make sure the system was working. He would insert his card and when the transaction was done, he would look at his receipt to make sure it was correct. Unfortunately, after a few seconds the ATMs would capture his card, and he would have to go into the branch and ask them to get his card back. Returning a captured card was not according to bank policy, but given it was Warren, the branch did return it. This happened on several occasions and many of us got a good laugh out of it; we told him he needed training. Once the ATM project was done, we worked together to establish a regional ATM network of local banks. We subsequently extended this to hook up to the national PLUS ATM system. Setting up a regional ATM system and connecting to the PLUS network required travel around the country to see what others did and to work out details. On a trip to Denver -- where I had lived at one time -- I took Warren to a restaurant that served the "best" gazpacho. As he took his first taste, and thinking it was hot soup, he complained that it was cold. Got a good laugh out of that, too. Warren led all these ATM efforts from the business perspective while I focused on them from the IT perspective. It was a pleasure and honor to work with Warren.
During the time that Warren and I were at the Bank, we carpooled with two other fellows. During these rides, we had great conversations about many subjects but often about the Redskins players and coaches. We took turns driving but liked it when it was Warren´s turn to drive as he had the biggest and nicest car!
A couple years after Warren joined the IMF, he contacted me to see if I would be interested in coming to the IMF to be a project leader on a new IMF financial system. I was glad to join him, first as a contractor and eventually as one of his managers until I retired in 2001 when he did. Warren gave me the opportunity to work on several different projects including the organization´s international responsibilities in Y2K. Because of this I got to travel to places I probably wouldn´t have gone otherwise. Because of Warren´s educational background and interests, I recall he often introduced various management and leadership approaches to the work we were doing. There was never a dull moment trying to keep up with him.
I have often thought of Warren and our time together as we tackled various projects. I learned a lot from him as well as have had some good laughs.

Frank Titus

January 16, 2022

RIP Warren.

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