Lillian DiGirolamo

Lillian DiGirolamo was born in Santa Clara County on February 7, 1926. She was born to Tsuneo and Saye Kasano who were Japanese immigrants from the Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan. Her father was the foreman at the Jackson Nursery in Cupertino. Lillian was the youngest of seven children and was preceded in death by her siblings: Virginia Asada, David Kasano, Gloria Kubota, Rosie Yoshida, John Kasano and Clara Hoshida.

In 1930, her parents took the entire family to Japan to spend four months in Kumamoto Prefecture, visiting family and friends. This was Lillian's first taste for travel.

Lillian was devoted to her father. One of her favorite stories that she often repeated was that she started driving her father who was an invalid, in the family's Model T at the age of 12. In those days, a driver's license was not a necessary prerequisite.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, Lillian and her family were forcibly removed from California and interned at the concentration camp at Heart Mountain, just outside of Cody, Wyoming. Once she graduated from high school in camp, Lillian left the camp and joined her sister in St. Paul, Minnesota. There she worked at a government job as one of the many women who became known as “Rosie the Riveter.”

After the war ended, Lillian remained in Wyoming for a short time and attended the University of Wyoming before returning to California. In August 2014, she returned to Heart Mountain, the camp where she was interned, to honor her parents and her family.

Once in California, she worked for Pat Pope, who was the widow of one of the heirs to the Pope and Talbot Steamship Lines. With Pat Pope, Lillian traveled to Hawaii and Mexico. These were exciting years for Lillian. She bought her first automobile, a yellow Oldsmobile convertible, which that was an eye-catching color in the 1950s when most cars were black or brown.

Lillian married Antonio DiGirolamo and they had four children: David, Rose, Antonio and John Kennedy. She was a devoted mother and very proud of her children's accomplishments. Her children are part of the Monterey fishing and restaurant industry. Included in this large family are her grandchildren: Kyle, Anders, Nicolina, Antonio III, Marjorie, Kase, John II, and Nicholas. Her extended family includes numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will take place at The Paul Mortuary this Friday, January 10 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM with recitation of the Rosary at 5:30 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Angela Merici Church the next day, Saturday, January 11 at 10:00 AM followed by burial at San Carlos Cemetery. Please visit www.thepaulmortuary.com to sign Lillian’s guest book and leave messages for