Obituaries

OBITUARY: Yukio A. “Yuk” Hibino

HIBINO, YUKIO, A. “YUK,” a Berkeley-born 90-year-old Nisei and Gardena resident, passed away on July 7, 2011.

As a youth in the Bay Area, Yuk excelled in basketball, baseball and football. He was a student at UC Berkeley when World War II began and his family was interned at Topaz, Utah. Yuk served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 522nd Field Artillery Battalion, and saw action in Italy, France and Germany.

After the war, Yuk and his wife Janice settled in Woburn, Mass. His family has fond memories of many camping and road trips throughout New England. In 1996 they moved to Gardena, where Yuk was active into his eighties. He joined the Go For Broke (GFB) National Education Center and volunteered at the GFB monument in Little Tokyo. He enjoyed his vegetable garden, reading the LA Times and watching the Discovery Channel. Yuk was a low-key guy, generous and humble with a sharp sense of humor.

Yuk is survived by Janice, his loving wife of 63 years; his children, Shirley Hibino, June Hibino (Mike Murase), and Bob Hibino (Lyn Peterson Parrott); and granddaughter, Sachi Murase. Yuk is also survived by older brother Yosh Hibino, and many nieces and nephews.

At the request of the deceased, no service will be held. A private gathering of family members will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Go For Broke National Education Center.

One response to “OBITUARY: Yukio A. “Yuk” Hibino”

  1. Jean Hibino Avatar
    Jean Hibino

    I am one of the many nieces and nephews; daughter of Yosh. My Uncle Yuk was my second dad. I am forever grateful that I got to spend so many years, holidays, adventures, trips, vacations, and just time with him. I cherish those trips – day and overnight around Massachusetts and to New Hampshire and Maine. I remember picking wild blueberries in Maine (Uncle’s hat was always at the ready) and he always knew the best places for fried clams, lobster rolls, meatball grinders, and subs. Our large extended family ended up in Florida many times for Christmas vacations, a wedding and an anniversary. The adventure “How Some of Us Didn’t Make It to Lord of the Rings” was videotaped and now an instant classic in family lore. I’m glad my uncle got to be part of all our silliness (he always said I was too loud!). As an adult, I was lucky enough to live in the town next to him and my aunt in Massachusetts. They knew the owner of the house we bought and lived in for 18 years, allowing my daughter not only to grow up in a wonderful town but more importantly, to spend time with her great uncle (in every sense of the word!). I owe what I know about gardening, yard work and taking care of a house to both to my dad and my uncle. My uncle taught me how and when to put up and take down room air conditioners; how to get the leftover sand from winter’s sand trucks off my front lawn; how to get rid of moles tunneling amuck in my back yard; when to plant tomatoes, and how to live in peace with moss and falling autumn leaves. I considered it the supreme compliment that when he and my aunt moved back to California he gave me many of his prized garden and work tools. I remember him telling me about one of the trips the vets took to Bruyeres and I told him he was a hero in my book. He was quiet and hilarious, athletic and smart, an awesome, wonderful man. I miss him..

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