Takanori "Taka" Shoji

Taka was born in Oita, Japan on January 21, 1954 to Tokuichiro and Yaeko Shoji. He attended Doshisha University in Kyoto where he graduated with a degree in Business. His passion for travel and new experiences later brought him to the University of Southern Mississippi where he met his wife. They later moved to Japan before settling in Atlanta, GA. He shared his passion for travel with others while working at Sun International Travel for over three decades.

He loved being active and creating communities based on shared recreational interests. Throughout his life, he participated in a variety of sports including aikido, golf, running, tennis, and pickleball. He enjoyed coaching youth volleyball within the Japanese and Greek communities, as well as cheering on the Atlanta Braves and Georgia Bulldogs. As an avid runner, he organized the Atlanta Japanese Running Club, ran 29 Peachtree Road Races, and completed over a dozen marathons including the Boston Marathon.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn (Vasselus). He is survived by daughters Mari and Anna (husband Ryan), parents Tokuichiro and Yaeko, brother Kingo (wife Hifumi) and sister Yoshimi.

He was loved by many from various walks of life and will be missed dearly.

Visitation will start at 5:30PM, including a Trisagion service around 7:00PM and concluding at 8:30PM on Monday, January 27, 2025 at Roswell Funeral Home (950 Mansell Rd, Roswell GA 30076). A funeral service will be held at 11AM on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church (3431 Trickum Rd Marietta, GA 30066) followed by burial at Green Lawn Cemetery (950 Mansell Rd Roswell, GA 30076).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society at https://www.cancer.org/