Joji Yamanaka

George was born in the Fishermen’s Hospital in Steveston B.C. on September 5, 1928 and passed away peacefully, with his wife Sachi by his side, at the Good Samaritan Delta View Care Centre in Delta on May 7, 2025 in his 97th year.

Predeceased by his parents, San and Sadakichi, brothers Toshihiro and Oscar. Survived by his wife Sachiyo, and their children Jon, Lynne (Ian) and Mark (Jana), granddaughters Sage (Niek) and Jade (Jason), grandsons Kingsley (Rachel) and Alistair (Brooke), great-granddaughters Pippa and Filou, sister Kazuko (Robert), brothers Takeshi (Grace) and Buster, and many nieces and nephews.

The Yamanaka family was interned during the war in Lillooet, B.C. in 1942. George travelled East to Toronto in the fall of 1945 where he worked as a house boy, attended high school, and graduated from Jarvis Collegiate Institute with Grade 13. He enrolled in Honours Science at the University of Toronto in 1949 then transferred to the University of B.C., where he graduated with a BA in Biological Sciences in 1951. After a couple of years in Cancer research, he entered Medical School at UBC. To finance his Medical Degree, he commercial fished every summer from 1953 to 1956.

After graduating George interned at St. Pauls Hospital in 1958, then opened his own practice in Vancouver in 1959. He completed a year of resident surgical training at St. Paul’s Hospital in 1960 then moved to Ladner in 1961 and worked with Dr. Lou Kanee as a General Practitioner. In the early days, he served patients throughout Delta, Tsawwassen, Point Roberts, and Richmond, was on call every other night, and outside of office hours did house calls and visited his patients in the hospital. Over his career, he also served as the Head of Surgery at Richmond General and Delta Hospitals. George built a medical clinic on Trunk Road in Ladner in 1970 and practiced there until he retired.

In 1979 George commissioned his brothers at Yamanaka Boatworks to build a commercial fishing vessel “Nerka No. 1”. In many of the years following its launch he would hire a locum for three months in the summer and take off to the Westcoast to troll for salmon. When he retired from Medicine in June 1993, he readied the boat and headed out fishing.

George enjoyed many hobbies throughout his long life. Together with his family and friends, he spent many days hunting, especially ducks in the Fraser River estuary, sport and commercial fishing and boating all along the coast of B.C.. He enjoyed the south coast of B.C. so much he built a cabin on Valdes Island for all to enjoy. Many happy days were spent at Valdes, entertaining family and friends with a highlight of the year being the May long weekend lamb BBQ.

A celebration of life will be held in the fall after the fishing season.

The family would like to thank Annabelle and her team at Heather Point Delta View for their compassionate care of George over the last 6 ½ years. The family would also like to thank extended family and friends who visited and sent letters and cards to George at Delta View. In lieu of Koden and flowers, please consider a donation to the Delta Hospital or the Alzheimer’s Society.