Kate Sakai's Obituary
Kate Katsuyo Sakai, 89, of Lakewood, Washington, passed away on November 14, 2022. Born on April 23, 1933 in Asakusa, a district in central Tokyo, Kate survived living through the bombings and subsequent devastation of World War II. Her father owned a bicycle shop in Tokyo and her mother was a homemaker. She was the fourth child in a family of five girls and one boy. As a self-proclaimed “tomboy” growing up, she didn’t care for the “domestic” curriculum in her all-girls high school and enjoyed her PE classes the most where she would win foot races and swing and twirl on gymnastics equipment. During WWII, her family lost their house and most of their possessions in a fire bombing. Right after the war, Kate also lost her beloved oldest sister who had taught her how to paint and sing, a memory she cherished throughout her life. Growing up during the war contributed to her enormous resilience and strength as a survivor of many challenges in her life.
She met the love of her life, Ken, when he stopped in the gift shop where she worked to purchase an “omiyage” gift for distant relatives he was going to visit. She eventually married Ken in Sapporo, Japan, in 1960. As characteristic of her adventurous and brave spirit, she left Japan and traveled throughout the world with Ken during his Air Force career. She eventually learned English by attending night school, learned to drive, and successfully navigated all the complexities of foreign cultures here and in England where she lived in the 1970’s.
Kate was also a mother, grandmother, and successful business woman supporting the family business, Ken Sakai Tax Service, from 1980 to 2005. She was a resident of Lakewood, Washington, since 1978 with the exception of a brief stay during COVID with her daughter and her family in Danville, California from 2020 – 2021. Kate loved music. Early in her life, her oldest sister’s love of American country music introduced her to Hank Williams on the radio to whose music she danced with her sisters. She was also creative and loved to paint and draw and create images with Japanese embroidery.
Kate loved to eat all kinds of food, especially sweets, and you could not visit her home without being fed delicious homemade food or leave after a visit without a gift of sweets in hand! As an avid traveler, even after Ken’s retirement from the Air Force, Kate traveled back to Japan, to Las Vegas and to Hawaii several times with her husband. Kate loved animals, especially dogs! The silver lining of COVID included lots of quality time with Kelsey, the family dog. She also loved horror films which turned into binge watching psychological thrillers on Netflix during COVID’s “stay-at-home” periods! She always felt connected to the spiritual world and had a “sixth sense” that allowed her to know the death or trauma of loved ones before they came true – a mysterious gift that she had throughout her life. Kate is survived by her daughter, Sonya Lopes and her son-in-law, Jon Lopes, both of Lakewood, WA and her two grandsons, Kevin Hiroshi Lopes of San Francisco, CA and Brett Hideki Lopes of Spokane, Washington. We will all miss her greatly, but we know she is happy to be with Ken and Kelsey again!
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