Yuriko Judy Houston's Obituary
Yuriko Houston was born on July 25th, 1931 in Nagaizumi, Japan, the 5th daughter to parents Heijiro and Taki Suzuki. She met and fell in love with Horace Houston. They moved to the United States with their two children, Midori, and Barbara. And then welcomed their third child, David. They found a beautiful home in Tacoma, Washington and that is where they decided to plant their roots.
Yuriko welcomed two grandchildren, Chris and I, and gave us a home full of love, discipline, and stability. She was an amazing cook and made some of the best Japanese dishes. She was always in the kitchen making us food filled with love and care. As a picky child, she would always make me a special dish, rice balls in a perfect triangle shape she made by hand. It always tasted so much better when she made it.
Yuriko always had strength for her family, and after the passing of Horace, she kept our family together. She had courage and love that she made sure all of us felt. She welcomed in Todd (Barbara), Wendy and Kei (David), and Adam (Tarah) in our family. She made sure for every holiday and birthday that we would all be together. She loved having her family around her.
She was a devote Nichiren Buddhist. I remember as a small child, her gohonzon was so beautiful and I was always fascinated by it. The prayer, Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, would fill our home daily and she always spent the time to incorporate this in her daily life.
Yuriko had a green thumb that was not passed down to me. She could take the smallest plant, near death, and give it love and it would bloom into a beautiful plant. I still do not know how she did it to this day. But it would always make me smile when I would visit her and see a plant that I could not take care of flourish in her home. Always in her free time, you would see her out in the garden, growing the most beautiful plants, vegetables,and flowers.
Close to the end of her life, she was surrounded by her family. She passed away in her sleep on April 5th, 2021. She had a long life filled with love, strength, and family. She taught me how to be patient, kind, and determined. Yuriko will leave an imprint on us all.
Grandma, it is so hard to say goodbye but know how much I love and cherish every memory with you. I will see you in the next life. I love you.
-Tarah Wagner
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