Tomiko W Tillotson's Obituary
Tomiko Watanabe Tillotson, 90, of Lakewood, Washington, passed away on December 11, 2020. Tomiko was born in Katsuura, Japan on July 3, 1930 and lived a long enjoyable life. She traveled all over the world supporting her 2 military husbands, Fred Exum (deceased Oct. 23, 1966), and later, Thomas S. Tillotson (deceased Dec. 26, 2014). She became an American citizen on September 7, 1973. She lived all over the world in places like France, Panama, Tennessee, Norway, Virginia, Hawaii, and lastly Lakewood, Washington.
Tomiko and Tom moved back to Lakewood in 1976. She had a love of piano which caused her to pursue education at Pacific Lutheran University. She audited classes at PLU and technically has a degree in Music Theory from PLU. It was tough for her going to an American college with English as her second language but she worked hard at learning and believed strongly in education. She became a piano teacher and shared her love and enthusiasm of piano to many students in the 30+ years that she taught. She also enjoyed singing with her Japanese Women’s Choir. She made many lasting friends singing with the choir. She was also an avid line dancer, learning many different dances with friends. She loved travelling and going places with family.
She is preceded in death by her son, Carl E. Exum. She is survived by son Dr. Marc and Dr. Tiffany Tillotson, grandsons Thomas and Andrew, and daughter Nola and Chris Peterson and granddaughter Alexandra.
Her graveside service will be held at Mountain View Funeral Home & Memorial Park on Friday, January 8, 2021 at 11:30 AM. The service will be led by Chaplain Joseph E. Miller. She will be deeply missed by family and friends.
To ensure the health and safety of our community, we are following all guidelines set by local, state and CDC officials. Please contact the funeral home with any questions.
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