TONAI, MARY MIYEKO passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of November 26, 2011. She was born on Jan. 30, 1918 in Oakland, Calif. and raised in the Los Angeles area with her sisters, Carrie (Fujii) and Helen (Yokoyama). She married Sataro Tonai prior to the outbreak of World War II and during the war they were interned at Heart Mountain, Wyo. After the war, the family settled in Sanger, Calif., where they owned and operated a small family grocery store. After the store closed in 1967, Mary worked as a teacher’s aide at Wilson School in Sanger. Mary was a talented individual with skills that included cooking, sewing, painting, woodworking, gardening, and flower arranging. But most of all, she will be remembered for her quiet strength, kindness and generosity. Mary is preceded in death by husband, Sataro; sisters, Carrie and Helen; two children, Dennis and Melvin; and son-in-law, Gary Kozono. She is survived by her three daughters, Linda, Marlene and Sachi (Mitchell Sugarman) and grandchildren, John Green and Brian and Jamie Kozono.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Central California Nikkei Foundation of Fresno (540 South Peach, Fresno, CA 93727), J-Sei Home (24954 Cypress St., Hayward, CA 94544) or the Fresno Buddhist Temple (1340 Kern Street, Fresno, CA 93706).
Interment service will be held in January in Fresno.