Toyoko Imakura Laney's Obituary
Toyoko Imakura Laney, fondly known as “Rose”, 84, passed away peacefully with family at her side, in her daughter Diane’s home in Olympia, Washington, on December 18, 2018. Toyoko was born in Tokushima, Japan, on February 15, 1934. She was a longtime resident of Tacoma, Washington. She was a general contractor and started Laney Construction, one of the first female owned construction companies in Tacoma. Laney Construction specialized in both residential and commercial construction. Later she started a second business selling satellite dishes with the technology to bring Japanese television to Japanese American viewers. She enjoyed flower arranging, gardening, and many traditional Japanese arts. She performed Japanese opera in kimono and sung with groups in Tacoma. She practiced a form of traditional calligraphy called shuji. She had a deep appreciation of the beauty of the natural world and enjoyed making art of all kinds. She was known for her warm, infectious smile. Toyoko was preceded in death by her parents Shouichi and Teruko Imakura and by her husband J.W. Laney, Jr. She is survived by her daughters Mieko Laney Cronk, Diane Laney Guthmann, and Doris Aiko Laney; grandchildren Chrissy Cronk-Hively, Becky Cronk Boman, Justin Cronk, Brianna Cronk Campbell, and Brian Guthmann; and great grandchildren Alyssa Williams Blackford, Logan Boman, Alexander Boman, Adelynn Cronk, Willem Cronk, and Mikala Nelson. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
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