Louis Kazuo Fujikawa was born on April 1, 1930 in Vacaville, CA to immigrant farmers Kamehiko and Tsui from Japan. Louis died September 20, 2020 at the age of 90 and is survived by Ikue, his wife of 48 years, his daughter Iris Fujikawa, sister Yoshiko Uno, niece Carol Uno, nephews Michael Uno, Wesley Uno, and Allan Shimashita. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Itsuko Fujikawa, Miyo Shimashita, brothers-in-law Joe Shimashita and James Uno, half-sister Toshiko Watanabe, and nephew Kenneth Shimashita.
In Louie’s early years he helped his parents with their orchard fruit farming, learning to drive a tractor at 9 years of age. In 1942 he was evacuated with his family and many neighbors to Turlock Assembly Center in central California before being transported to the War Relocation Authority in Gila River, Arizona Canal Camp 1 where he attended classes but also had jobs as a painter and food supply distributor.
After being released in 1945 he moved with his family to Chicago where he finished high school at Hyde Park High School. He began working in retail from groceries to Harlan’s Department Store, Triangle Camera, and Minolta.
In 1969 Louie was introduced to Ikue while she was in the United States on a program to explore various fields ranging from social work to jewelry making. Louie corresponded with Ikue for a couple of years but hesitated to mail a particular letter in 1971 when a friend intervened and mailed his proposal letter to Ikue whom he married in June 1972. Around the same time, he went into business with a partner, opening Cissy’s, a baby clothing store.
In May 1973, Louie & Ikue had their only daughter, Iris. In August 1977 they left Chicago, drove across country, and moved to La Habra, CA for a job opportunity with Hanimex Camera Co. Soon after moving to CA Louie accepted Christ at a Christian Businessmen’s Meeting at Melodyland. In 1978, He and Ikue bought their 1st home in LaHabra. In 1979 he went to work for Beckman Instruments in logistics from which he retired in 1998. While at Beckman he briefly played as an outfielder on a Beckman softball team and regularly golfed with the Beckman Golf Association, even making a hole in one!
After his retirement, Louis and Ikue started attending Rose Drive Friends Church which led to his involvement in some small groups, PrimeTime, and a Sunday School class. He also had the opportunity to attend a camp for senior adults at Quaker Meadow where he renewed his personal commitment to Jesus Christ and revisited other spiritual questions and began meeting with friend and mentor Marlin Davis.
Some time after retiring from Beckman, some friends introduced him to his last career in what he called “the most fulfilling job he ever had” as a school crossing guard which he did for 15 years. Most of that time was outside of Arroyo Elementary School in Tustin where he helped keep the community safer, encouraging children in their lives & studies, bringing cheer with his smile and “good morning”s even as he “trained” the parents to slow down and drive with greater awareness.
He enjoyed gardening, traveling in later years with his wife and daughter, playing Jewels on his tablet, watching politics on TV, hanging out at the local coffee shop with a couple of buddies, and challenging the medical community who took amazing care of him.
Interwoven throughout Louis’ life was a spirit of perseverance and fight to live, facing numerous life-threatening medical conditions from the time he was 5 which he called “the first time I sorta died” until his last days on dialysis.
Louis was a generous, kind, gentle man, with a subtle sense of humor. He will be missed by many.
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