OBITUARY: Raymond Iwao Uyehara

Raymond Uyehara

Uyehara, Raymond Iwao, (87), passed away on Nov. 24, 2013, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Emi Asato Uyehara, on Sept. 26, 2012. He is survived by his three children — Michael, Emery, and Julie — seven grandchildren, his last living sibling, Shizuko Akamine of Honolulu, and two sisters-in-law, Setsuko and Toshiko Uyehara, and many nieces and nephews.

Born on Nov. 18, 1926, in Honolulu, Ray perfected his Japanese while serving in the U.S. Army at the Army Language School at Ft. Snelling, Minn. He met his future wife, a native of Okinawa, Japan, in Chicago while a student at the University of Michigan, and moved to Okinawa to marry her in 1953. He spent most of his career as a U.S. Army civilian comptroller on Okinawa, but also worked at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii; Ft. Sheridan, Ill.; and Camp Zama, Japan. After Emi’s retirement in 2000, he and his wife moved to Sacramento, and then moved to the Santa Barbara area in 2011 to be close to daughter, Julie.

Funeral services were held on Dec. 29 at the San Mateo Buddhist Church, 2 South Claremont St., San Mateo, Calif.