OBITUARY: Yuriko Yokota

YOKOTA, YURIKO, 104, passed away peacefully at her home in Hayward, California, on June 18, 2019. She was born April 4, 1915 to Jujiro Sugihara and Teru Kobayashi Sugihara in San Francisco, and was raised in Richmond, CA, where she attended San Pablo Elementary and Richmond High School.

In 1942 Yuri and her parents and siblings were sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center and later interned at Topaz Internment Camp in Utah. In 1945 Yuri left camp to marry Masao Yokota and moved to Idaho where her husband was farming potatoes. In 1946 she and her husband moved to San Leandro, CA, where they started a rose nursery which they operated for 55 years. In 2001 she moved to her current residence in Hayward, CA.

Yuri was preceded in death by her husband, Masao Yokota; parents Jujiro and Teru Sugihara; sibling, Fumiko (Henry) Wada, John (Eiko) Sugihara, George (Fumiko) Sugihara, and sister-in-law, Carolyn Sugihara. She is survived by her brother Gilbert Sugihara; her daughters Jane (Lawrence) Kumabe and Agnes (Robert) Masuda; her grandchildren Kerry Kumabe (Calvin daRosa), Stacey Kumabe (Roberto Annunziata), and Kevin Masuda, one great-grandchild, Bennett daRosa. She is also survived by many nephews and nieces.

Celebration of life will be held July 27, at 2 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Japanese Christian Church, 615 Lewelling Blvd., San Leandro, CA 94579. Visitation at the church will be on the same day from 12-2 p.m. Donations may be made to the San Lorenzo Japanese Christian Church building fund; or to the Eden Township Japanese Community Center Building fund or to the Eden Township Senior Center, both at P.O. Box 264, San Leandro, CA 94580-0264.