Ralph Sugimoto
SUGIMOTO, RALPH JR., 75, was born on November 12, 1941, in Sacramento, California. He was the son of Ralph Takao Sr. and Elizabeth Yoshiko Sugimoto. After battling with pancreatic cancer for nearly two years, Ralph passed away peacefully on May 25. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Pearl, daughter Stefanie Abdelnour and her three children Kyle, Kevin and Kyra, and son Douglas and daughter-in-law Isabelle and their three children Madeline, Mason, and Marie. Shortly after birth, Ralph was relocated along with his family to the Amache internment camp in southeastern Colorado. After the war, his family returned to Walnut Grove, California, where Ralph attended Courtland High School and was an active member of the Walnut Grove Buddhist Church. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento in 1963 with a degree in Accounting, then began working for the Office of the Auditor General. From 1964-1966, he served with the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of Sergeant (E-5). He joined the accounting firm of Pfanner & Tate in 1974 and became a partner shortly thereafter; in 1989, he joined the original partners of Pfanner & Tate as a founding member of the accounting firm of Tate, Propp, Beggs & Sugimoto (tpbs, LLP). Ralph served tirelessly as an officer and director of many civic and charitable organizations serving the Asian American community, including the Japanese American Citizens League, the Asian Community Center, the Sacramento Aichi Kenjin Kai and the Matsuyama-Sacramento Sister City Corporation. He served as President, Treasurer and Auditor of the Sacramento Betsuin Church and President and Treasurer of the Buddhist Churches of America. Ralph loved to golf, dine out, watch sports, travel, meet people, and take his wife, Pearl, to Tahoe, Reno and Las Vegas. He was a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and the Sacramento Kings.
Ralph is preceded in death by his father Ralph Sr., mother Elizabeth and younger sister Jane. He also leaves behind his step-mother Hiroko Sugimoto, sisters Judy (William) Young and Ruby Sugimoto, and step-brother Dennis Matsuno. Loving Uncle to Will (Mary) Young, Kim (Fabrice) Bellini, Beth Young, Tim (Linda) Young, and Kenji Matsuno.
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