Kenneth T Sakai's Obituary
Kenneth Toshiyuki Sakai, 82, of Lakewood, Washington, passed away on December 10, 2018. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii on October 28, 1936, Kenneth was a retired Tax Accountant and Air Force veteran of 23 years of service. He was a resident of Lakewood, WA since 1978.
Kenneth is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kate Katsuyo Sakai, his daughter, Sonya Lopes of Danville, California, his “son” Oscar Sakai, of Lakewood, WA, his son-in-law Jon Lopes and two grandsons, Kevin Lopes and Brett Lopes, also of Danville, California.
Kenneth attended Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, Hawaii and graduated in 1954. He entered the Air Force in 1956 and retired in 1979. He received his Bachelors of Science, Cum Laude, degree in Business Administration from University of Maryland and after retiring
from the Air Force, worked as a tax accountant from 1980 until his retirement from his second career in 2005. He owned Ken Sakai Tax Service and served the small business community in the greater Tacoma area.
After graduating from basic training at Camp Parks near Dublin, California, he was assigned to Yamato Air Station, Japan. While visiting family friends in Tokyo, he met the love of his life, Kate Katsuyo Kato in a gift store as he stopped to buy an “omiyage” and
they married on 1960 in Sapporo, Japan. In his 23 years of service he had active duty tours at Yamato Air Station, Japan; Hickam, AFB, Hawaii; Iwo Jima Air Station, Yokota AFB, Japan; Misawa Air Base, Japan; and Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean, where he participated in and witnesses several nuclear tests over the ocean. He also served at Kumejima Air Station, Okinawa; Kincheloe AFB, Michigan, Grand Forks, AFB, North Dakota, RAF Alconbury, United Kingdom and McChord AFB, Tacoma, Washington where he retired.
Kenneth was an voracious reader and foreign film aficionado who always had the latest provocative foreign films ready for sharing when his grandsons visited. He was also a skilled chess player and an award winning bowler representing championship teams in local Air
Force leagues. He was also a history buff who thoroughly look advantage of all his travels in the Air Force, especially to England in the 1970’s, where his family lovingly remembers being “dragged” to a different historical sites, castles, manors or ruins every
weekend. An avid traveler, he traveled to Japan and parts of the US after retirement. We will miss his beautiful smile, youthful and mischievous spirit, hearty laughter and animated storytelling skills, especially when he shared his experiences as a youth
growing up in Honolulu around the dinner table with family. He was also a loyal and generous friend to those who knew him and would always be there for support if needed.
Kenneth’s greatest challenge was his health having fought through many ailments, including cancer, related the nuclear testing at Christmas Island. We all feel blessed that he had the courage and strength to battle through multiple afflictions through the decades to
create lasting memories that we will all cherish.
A wake and celebration of life reception will be held in the Oak Room at Mountain View Memorial Park Celebration of Life Center on Sunday, December 23, 2018 from 12:30 - 2:00.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial donations be sent to the Madigan Foundation in his name (http://www.madiganfoundation.org/).
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